Extend outside the Port of Santander
The Free Zone is working to find a location in the Besaya region and the Llano de La Pasiega industrial estate
The inauguration of two liquid bulk tanks in the Santander Port Free Zone during this Saturday, has been useful to highlight the actions that are being carried out to increase the port activity. In addition, the presence of the Minister of Public Works, Íñigo de la Serna, has served to underline that the Port of Santander is considered as an important piece by the Government of Spain . He has also defended the creation of a global future plan for the Port of Santander.
The start-up of the two tanks will allow the Free Zone to store 58,000 tons, and the return to activity of Sniace has already allowed a first shipment of 4,000 tones of linosulfite. With the start-up of Viscocel is expected to contribute an additional amount of 35,000 tons. The first customer of these warehouses has been Lingotech Ibérica. Yesterday, they load a ship with 4,000 tons of goods for export.
Both tanks, with a capacity of 3,257 cubic meters each one, have been designed by Ratio Ingenieros and built by the Santander-born company Arruti in a period of seven months. They are 20 meters high, with a diameter of 14.4 meters, and are constructed of carbon steel.
Santander is one of the seven free zones in Spain, among which it occupies the fourth place in the ranking of activity. Until November 2017 this zone has registered “an increase of 24% in turnover and 72% in the movement of goods”, which demonstrates its “importance for Santander and Cantabria”.
On one hand, the president of the entity, Modesto Piñeiro, explained that the new facilities, which will provide coverage for ships through the northern margin of the Port and the Maliaño Dock, will continue to add new ones. And it has advanced that, for 2018, it is expected to have a four million financing.
On the other hand, it was explained that they are already working on the location in industrial estates of the region of free zones for the installation of companies, which is possible although it requires rigorous access control measures. In connection with that, the Minister of Industry, Francisco Martín, reported that the Cantabrian Government works together with the APS and the Free Zone to look for an expansion area that can be in the Port or in the Besaya region. The Ministry of Industry wants it to be installed in the future industrial estate of Llano de La Pasiega, which will be “a large logistic space” with “privileges” characteristics because it is “five minutes from the Port and the airport, and also a railway line that Fomento is improving goes through this space”.
A global future plan
The Minister of Public Works, Íñigo de la Serna, has advocated for a global master plan and a “future approach” for the Port of Santander.
«It is appropiate to make a plan in the future, as we are doing in other ports in Spain, so that, from the Government of Spain, propose future projects that make the Port viable and favor its competitiveness. I am convinced that we will know how to do it soon”, De la Serna said, before adding that “the Port requires the consensus of all to obtain a better future”.
The special delegate of the State in the Free Zone, Fernando Cámara, and the mayoress of Santander, Gema Igual, also participated in the event. Other authorities have also been present, such as the president of the Santander Port Authority, Jaime González, or the government delegate, Samuel Ruiz. The mayoress of Santander has stated that the Free Zone is a “source of wealth” for Santander and Cantabria and has been pleased that the Port “continues growing and advancing”.
«We do not understand Santander without the Port nor the Port without Santander. We do not understand the stagnation in Santander, and that is why we continue investing and improving”, she remarked.
