Spain's Ports See Goods Traffic Rise as Red Sea Crisis Continues
The volume of goods moving through Spain's top ports rose by as much as 25% in January as attacks on shipping in the Red Sea caused companies to divert Europe-bound vessels around southern Africa instead.Spain's northern ports have also seen volumes in transit jump by up to triple as traders opt to avoid moving goods by truck through Europe because of widespread blockades by farmers, Spanish retail and food industry association Aecoc says.Ports such as Las Palmas in the Canary Islands and Barcelona saw a 25.4% and 7.6% increase in the volume of merchandise respectively…
Saudi Arms Ship Set to Leave Spanish Port
A Saudi ship, prevented by rights groups from loading an arms cargo at the French port of Le Havre on Friday, arrived at the Spanish port of Santander early on Monday and was due to leave later in the day, according to the Santander port.It was not clear what the Saudi ship was doing in Santander but the port's website said the vessel, the Bahri-Yanbu, was scheduled to set sail at 1:30 p.m. (1130 GMT). It did not say where the vessel was heading.Spain's Interior Ministry said they had no information regarding the ship. The defence and foreign ministries were not immediately available for comment. Santander port authorities could not immediately be reached.French rights group ACAT argued in a legal challenge on Thursday that the arms consignment contravened a U.N.
Astican & Astander Continue to Invest
Astander and Astican are the two busiest privately owned shipyards in Spain carrying out heavy repairs and special conversion projects with a boutique style attitude towards customers. As part of Lavinia Group, which runs a fleet of more than 70 vessels, the shipyard understand the owner´s needs. Astander, in the port of Santander, has more than 140 years’ presence in the international market and has continually modernized and updatd its facilities. The latest investment program…
Spanish Ship Repair On a Winning Streak
Strategically located Spain, linking countries in Europe, Africa and the Americas, along with a dynamic coast line dotted with number of highly proactive ports have bolstered its progress helping it to become a global leader in the ‘ship’ repairs and conversion. Spearheading the ship design and construction operations in Europe, the sector is witnessing an unusual boom with an annual volume of about €400 million. One can find 13 shipyards competing in this ship repair/conversion market. The smaller ones being able to repair vessels of up to 100 meters in length and the bigger ones – considered to be the biggest shipyards in Europe in terms of docking facilities – have dry docks that service vessels of up to 400 meters.
EU Funds LNG Bunkering Study
Studies on liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering infrastructure in Spain and France get EU grant. The European Union will support with just over €1 million from the TEN-T Programme a series of studies to analyse the potential introduction of liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure in Spain and France. The studies, selected for funding under the 2012 TEN-T Multi-Annual Call, aim at determining the feasibility of implementing LNG bunkering facilities in the Port of Roscoff (northwest France) and the Port of Santander (northern Spain).
Wave Damages Ferry
Brittany Ferries was forced to divert its flagship vessel to a port in northern France last night after it was hit by a freak wave that smashed a cabin window and flooded several cabins. The 41,000-ton Pont-Aven was sailing from Plymouth to the Spanish port of Santander through a force nine gale when it was hit by a wave thought to be 40 ft. high. Most of the 1,149 passengers on the ship, which has 11 decks, were in the ship's restaurant or bar when the wave hit. Britanny Ferries said the wave broke the window of an unoccupied cabin on deck six. According to reports, five passengers and one crew member were treated for minor injuries.
Separatist Group Had Planned to Bomb British-Bound Car Ferry
The Basque separatist group ETA planned to set off a car bomb aboard British-bound ferry Val de Loire, but the activists in charge of the attack were reportedly captured by Spanish police last week. It was reported that the ETA wanted to drive a car bomb onto the ferry, which was bound for Plymouth in southwestern Britain, and blow it up at its point of origin in the Spanish port at Santander. The armed group allegedly ntended to give authorities a warning to allow the boat to be evacuated before the explosion. A suspected ETA guerrilla who was captured last week tipped off police, saying that the ferry was a possible target. It was reported that a ferry schedule was found among the suspect's possessions but that it could not be confirmed whether there was a real threat to the boat.
