Freight traffic at Spanish ports set a new record in 2014

Freight traffic at Spanish ports of general interest reached an all-time high last year. At 468,267,581 million metric tons, it surpassed—albeit by a very narrow margin (0.06%)—the record set in 2007.

 

In 2014, Spanish ports handled 5.1% more cargo than in the previous year. According to Anave, dry bulk cargo saw the highest growth (+11.7%), reaching 89.6 million metric tons, although it remains far below the 2007 figures (116 million metric tons). Liquid bulk also rose significantly (by 6.0%) and totaled 160.9 million metric tons, thereby far exceeding its all-time record of 153.4 million metric tons set in 2012.

Total general cargo amounted to 217.8 million metric tons (+2.1%), the second-highest figure on record, surpassed only by that of 2012 (when 218.1 million metric tons were handled). Within this category, and for the second consecutive year, conventional general cargo saw the greatest growth (up 5.1% to 62.4 million metric tons—another all-time high).

General cargo in containers rose slightly by 0.9% (155.4 million metric tons), a rebound that nonetheless represents the third-best figure in historical records, trailing only the figures from 2012 and 2011. «And this is despite the more notable growth—7.9%—in the number of containers in domestic coastal trade and 3.6% in containers handled in transit,» Anave points out. Overall, the number of containers handled also reached a new record, at 14,204,120 TEUs.

Also noteworthy is the growth in ro-ro traffic (8% and 48.0 million metric tons). In this category, the top three ports were Barcelona (9.6 million metric tons, +4.9%); the Balearic Islands (9.6 million metric tons, +12.4%); and Valencia (7.6 million metric tons, +19.5%).

Ports
The three leading ports handling solid bulk cargo saw significant growth: Gijón (+8.51 TP3T and 16.2 million metric tons), Tarragona (+31.61 TP3T and 9.7 million metric tons), and Ferrol (+5.61 TP3T and 9.5 million metric tons). Even so, all three remained far below their all-time highs: Gijón in 2005 (19.7 million); Tarragona in 2007 (13.6 million); and Ferrol in 2012 (10.5 million).

In terms of liquid bulk, the top three ports were Cartagena (25.9 million, +9.31% Q3), Algeciras (25.3 million, +5.3%), and Huelva (21.8 million, +1.6%). Both Cartagena and Algeciras broke their all-time records, while Huelva’s record was surpassed only in 2012, when it handled 22.9 million metric tons.

Finally, the three leading ports in terms of general cargo throughput were Algeciras (61.2 million, +1.9%), Valencia (58.7 million, +1.4%), and Barcelona (27.6 million, +4.6%). These three ports handled 67.7% of the general cargo that passed through Spanish ports. Algeciras broke its all-time record, while the port of Valencia achieved its second-best result ever, surpassed only in 2012 (with 59.8 million), and Barcelona ranked third, behind 2011 and 2010.

(Original article)