The ambassadors of the European Union accredited to Spain have visited the Port of Bilbao to learn about the various initiatives the port is currently taking forward, particularly in the areas of energy transition, sustainability and connectivity. During their visit, the European diplomatic delegation was able to see first-hand the various projects that Bilbao is working on to become a green port that drives and supports its customers in their efforts to tackle the impact of the energy transition, whilst at the same time helping to maintain the competitiveness of the region’s industry by adapting infrastructure and services to its needs and requirements.
The representatives from twenty-one EU Member States showed particular interest in the introduction of green and digital maritime corridors being worked on by the Port of Bilbao, with a view to providing efficient and resilient European logistics, contributing to the decarbonisation of freight transport and offering an alternative to road haulage.
The delegation also saw the progress being made in rolling out the BilbOPS project to supply electricity, partly from renewable sources such as PV solar panels, to vessels during their stay in port. When commissioned in 2027, the system will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimise noise and vibration levels. The project is co-funded by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and the Bilbao Port Authority, and an 80 million euro loan has also been secured with the European Investment Bank (EIB), part of which will be used to finance the project.
Another topic discussed was the role of the port in the wind power sector. Several companies with specialised expertise across the entire value chain have plants in the port’s hinterland, some of which, such as Haizea Wind and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, have facilities on the quayside itself. The meeting agenda also included an overview of the agreements with the ports of Amsterdam and Duisburg to set up a renewable hydrogen corridor between the Basque Country and central Europe; the synthetic fuel and electrolytic hydrogen production plants that the company Petronor, part of the Repsol Group, is building in the port; and the works for the second phase of the expansion of the central breakwater, which will create a new port area of 31.2 hectares and 1,011 linear metres of new berthing quays to accommodate new projects.
The meeting was held within the context of a visit to the Basque Country organised by the Danish Embassy to coincide with Denmark’s rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. In addition to visiting the Port of Bilbao, the ambassadors also held meetings with Imanol Pradales, Lehendakari (First Minister) of the Basque Government, and with various representatives of the Basque economic, social and cultural fabric.
The diplomatic delegation includes representatives from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden.
Source: Port of Bilbao
