Almería Presents Port-City and Industry Integration Projects in Dunkirk

The President of the Port Authority of Almería (APA), Rosario Soto, presented the port-city opening model and its compatibility with industrial activity during the 2026 World Conference on Ports and Cities, organized by the International Association Cities and Ports (AIVP) in Dunkirk, France. The event, which brought together 400 delegations from 50 countries under the slogan 'Cities and ports on the move: it's time to act!', gathered international experts to discuss the challenges facing the port cities of the future.

Soto took part in the session 'New approaches to city-port planning: current projects and strategies for the future', alongside representatives from PNG Ports of Papua New Guinea, the Grand Port Maritime de Nantes Saint-Nazaire of France, and Port of Helsinki Ltd of Finland, in a panel moderated by Francesca Pintus, of the Italian firm One Works. The president detailed the recovery of two hectares and of historic port heritage in the eastern area, with an investment of 11 million euros, to be followed by a main phase of urban integration covering an additional four hectares at a cost of around 25 million euros, co-financed with the Regional Government of Andalusia and with a two-year execution period. In total, between 2023 and 2029 the Port Authority will have invested more than 45 million euros in the port-city opening, which also includes the refurbishment of the Varadero building in the western area and, starting in 2027, a new façade for the passenger terminal and its adjoining buildings.

On the industrial front, Soto explained that the APA has already carried out the direct access from the N-340 highway and the reorganization of internal roadways, with an investment of 3 million euros, and that it will award the contract in the coming days for the expansion of the Pechina Quay, with a planned investment of 30 million euros, co-financed with 6 million euros from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2021-2027. Work will begin in January, with a two-year execution period, and will involve extending the berthing line by 260 meters, reaching a depth of 18 meters, and gaining 4.4 hectares of surface area.

According to Soto, the improvement in land connectivity and the increase in surface area and berthing line have helped attract metal and agricultural auxiliary industries, which will set up operations at the Port of Almería and will boost general cargo and dry bulk traffic, particularly driven by demand for gypsum, a mineral that places the APA as the national leader in dry bulk exports. Regarding passenger traffic, which handles one million passengers a year and makes the port the second busiest in the national system during the Strait Crossing Operation, the president announced that by 2028 it will have a new passenger service area, including commercial and dining space, following the administrative concession granted this summer.