The EIB finances the expansion of the capacity of the Logistics Activities Zone of the Port of Barcelona

A boost to economic growth

Grants a loan of 75 million euros under the “Juncker Plan'' that will benefit a strategic location in the Mediterranean Corridor.

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La Logistics Activities Zone (ZAL Port) of the Port of Barcelona will have financing from AT for the construction of new logistics and storage facilities that will allow it to not only increase its capacity but also improve its efficiency and sustainability.

 

El Port of Barcelona is one of the largest of Spain and occupies a strategic place on the routes within the Mediterranean Corridor. In this way, the expansion of its capacity will have a positive impact on the Port of Barcelona, strategic infrastructure of this Corridor.

 

El Vice President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Román Escolano, as well as the General Director of ZAL Port, Alfonso Martínez, have signed in Barcelona the loan of 75 million euros that is guaranteed by the Investment Plan for Europe. The agreement has been possible thanks to the support of the European Fund for Strategic Investments, (EFSI), which is the central pillar of Investment Plan for Europe, the call "Juncker Plan. Specifically, the project will allow the Port of Barcelona expand its capacity until it reaches nearly 1.000.000 m² of first-class logistics warehouses throughout the ZAL Port. This increase in its logistics structure will help ZAL Port increase its economic activity, since currently the occupancy rate of its facilities reaches 97%.

 

The aim of AT and the Investment Plan for Europe With this financing it is to boost economic growth and employment in Spain. With the development of new infrastructure, the port of Barcelona will be able to reduce costs in the management of transport connections and be more competitive. The offer of new logistics infrastructure will allow the creation of around 4.000 new direct jobs and around 6.000 indirect jobs in the logistics and transportation sector.

 

 

 

The Port of Barcelona is one of the largest in Spain and occupies a strategic place on the routes within the Mediterranean Corridor.

 

 

The project, whose construction will take place in the next two years, also contributes to the fight against climate change because it favors the intermodality, which in turn will reduce road transport and, therefore, polluting gas emissions. All new buildings built within this new logistics expansion of the port will adopt energy efficiency measures such as the use of alternative energies, improvement of indoor environmental quality, efficiency in water consumption, and sustainable development of open spaces. of the land and the selection of recycled materials, which will allow obtaining a LEED certification for all of them.

 

«The financing of AT for this project will contribute to facilitating investments in the Barcelona's port that allow generating sustainable economic growth and employment throughout the area", highlighted the Vice-President of the EIB, Roman Escolano. "The impact of the project will also reach the Mediterranean Corridor, which will be able to benefit both from the logistical expansion of this important port and from its greater range of services that will allow it to access more clients."

 

La European Commissioner for Transport, Vileta Bulc, stated: "the modernization of our transport infrastructure throughout the Trans-European Transport Network requires significant and sustainable investments to be able to address the economic and environmental needs of the future. It is there where the Investment Plan for Europe can play a very important role. “I am delighted that, with this agreement, the European Commission is supporting improvements that are crucial for a port that is strategically important for the EU.”

 

For its part, Alfonso Martínez, General Director of CILSA, highlighted that "this new commitment by the EIB to the project ZAL Port "It will allow us to undertake 100% of the development planned for the next four years, becoming the leading Logistics Zone in the Mediterranean." ZAL Port has had the advice of Cuatrecasas in this operation.