Port de Barcelona has awarded NYK a concession to operate a inished vehicle logistics terminal that will feature a fully automated, multilevel parking facility, due to become operational in 2027.
[Updated May 21] The Spanish port of Barcelona has given NYK a 27-year concession to operate a finished vehicle logistics terminal. Operations are set to begin in 2027 and maritime logistics provider said it aims to make the port an international hub for vehicle logistics, providing services for current and future demands in the western Mediterranean and north African regions. NYK has confirmed that investment in the terminal stands at around €75m ($84.2m).
The terminal will have a footprint of more than 101,000 sq.m, with a projected annual throughput of around 180,000 vehicles. The new concession enlarges the current 10-hectare area operated by Autoterminal and Setram but will duplicate the area with a vertical silo, according to Port de Barcelona. All three terminals will share the berths, which optimises vessel activity and provides access to the rail terminal Príncep d’Espanya, which is equipped with three different rail gauges (international, Iberian and metric.
The terminal will have a footprint of more than 101,000 sq.m, with a projected annual throughput of around 180,000 vehicles.
Last year Barcelona handled more than 682,000 vehicles. While imports decreased, vehicle exports, which account for the majority of volumes moved, increased by 4% to 429,000. That includes higher numbers of exports to Mexico, which totalled almost 25,900 last year (+37%), boosted by Seat volumes.
According to NYK it will work with its ro-ro terminal subsidiary International Car Operators (ICO) on a fully automated, multilevel parking system at Barcelona. ICO operates finished vehicle terminals at the ports of Antwerp and Zeebrugge in Belgium.
The system being brought in at Barcelona will eliminate the need for on-site driving within the facility, according to NYK, minimising damage through human error and saving space to increase capacity and throughput. A spokesperson for NYK said the company is currently busy working on final operational planning and further details remain confidential for the time being.
NYK will also install a solar power system at the Barcelona terminal and expects to generate 3,211 MWh from it for operations onsite.
NYK also operates terminals Antwerp and Zeebrugge, as well as terminals in Yarímca (Turkey) and East Port Said (Egypt).
In its financial results for 2024 NYK reported a JPY 113.3 billion (+7.5 billion) in the automotive segment.
“Despite the ongoing port congestion and route change caused by, among other factors, the conflict on the Middle East, the business captured robust transport demand by improving vessel utilisation,” said the company in its financial year overview. NYK is forecasting that currently very tight demand for shipping capacity in automotive will soften as new vessels continue to be delivered.
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