Logistics operators in the automotive sector are already working to advance the decarbonization of the entire vehicle logistics chain between China and Europe.
The president of Shanghai International Port Group visits the Port de Barcelona, giving new impetus to the strategic alliance between both ports.
27 October 2026
The president of the Port de Barcelona, José Alberto Carbonell, with the president of the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), Song Xiaodong.
The Green & Digital Corridor between the ports of Barcelona and Shanghai is moving closer to becoming a reality. After a year of work to define the details of the project, the heads of both ports have involved logistics operators in the automotive sector to establish an emission-free logistics chain for vehicle transport.
Joint work between administrations and private companies involved in the logistics chain, from factories to distribution to dealerships, is key to implementing the necessary measures to reduce emissions throughout the logistics chain, especially maritime transport. This includes everything from the installation of Onshore Power Supply (OPS) systems at terminals so that car carriers can shut down their engines while in port, to the supply of green maritime fuels, and the implementation of zero-emission solutions for port equipment and logistics services.
However, the commitment is not limited to vehicle logistics, as it also includes promoting electric vehicles. In this regard, one of the companies involved, the car manufacturer Chery, plans to increase the volume of electric vehicles arriving in Barcelona, and connection infrastructures will be developed at the terminals themselves, integrating electric charging with inventory management.
Strategic Cooperation between Barcelona and Shanghai
This progress comes within the framework of the visit of the president of the Shanghai International Port Group (SIPG), Song Xiaodong, to the Port de Barcelona, which also included representatives from ACCIÓ on behalf of the Generalitat de Catalunya. The visit is the latest in a series of meetings that in recent years have boosted the strategic relationship between the two ports, reflected in agreements such as the Green & Digital Corridor or the "sister ports" agreement, signed last June.
The strategic alliance with the Port of Shanghai, the world's largest container port and a pioneer in automation development, consolidates the Port de Barcelona as a Euro-Mediterranean logistics hub and strengthens ties with one of the world's main ports and economic centers, while also contributing to the decarbonization of international trade.
"Today we are closer to making the Green & Digital Corridor between the ports of Barcelona and Shanghai a reality, by incorporating the companies that make vehicle transport possible throughout the logistics chain," said the president of the Port de Barcelona, José Alberto Carbonell. "The decarbonization of maritime transport requires ports, terminals, shipping companies, and shippers to advance together, and this agreement allows us to take this step on one of the main routes between China and Europe," he concluded.
Source: puerto de barcelona
