Port of Bilbao
Encyclopedia
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| General Information | |||
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| Founded | June 15, 1300 | ||
| Coordinates Geographic coordinate system A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on the Earth to be specified by a set of numbers. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represent vertical position, and two or three of the numbers represent horizontal position... - Latitude Latitude In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a... - Longitude Longitude Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda .... |
43° 22' 43" N 03° 04' 57" W |
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| Area Area Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat... |
3.13 km² (land) 16.94 km² (water) |
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| Docks | 17 km | ||
| Vessel arrivals | 3,595 (2007) | ||
| Annual container volume | (2007) | ||
| Annual cargo tonnage | 40.0 million metric revenue tons (2007) | ||
| Cruise Cruise ship A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way... traffic |
172,626 passengers (2007) | ||
| Total operating revenue Revenue In business, revenue is income that a company receives from its normal business activities, usually from the sale of goods and services to customers. In many countries, such as the United Kingdom, revenue is referred to as turnover.... |
€ Euro The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,... 56.7 million |
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| Net income Net income Net income is the residual income of a firm after adding total revenue and gains and subtracting all expenses and losses for the reporting period. Net income can be distributed among holders of common stock as a dividend or held by the firm as an addition to retained earnings... |
€ Euro The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,... 25.5 million |
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| Official Website | |||
The Port of Bilbao is located on the Bilbao Abra
Bilbao Abra
The Bilbao Abra is a bay of the Bay of Biscay, in the Atlantic Ocean, that is located at the mouth of the Estuary of Bilbao, in Biscay . The bay is delimited by the capes of Punta Galea to the north and Punta Lucero to the south...
bay, and along the Estuary of Bilbao
Estuary of Bilbao
The Estuary of Bilbao lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, that drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. It is a large estuary long that extends from Bilbao to the Bilbao Abra bay, a widening that makes the final transition between...
, in Biscay
Biscay
Biscay is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Biscay. Its capital city is Bilbao...
(Basque Country). The main facilities are in the Santurtzi
Santurtzi
Santurtzi is a port town in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the Nervión river, on its left bank, 14km downriver from Bilbao and forms part of the Greater Bilbao agglomeration...
and Zierbena
Zierbena
Zierbena is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:*...
municipalities, approximately 15 km (9.3mi) west of Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
. Also called Exterior Port and Superpuerto, the port complex occupies 3.13 km² (773 acres) of land and 16.94 km² (4,186 acres) of water along 17 km (10.5mi) of waterfront.
History
The history of the port is absolutely linked to the history of Bilbao itself, so the date of its foundation is that of the city's foundation.In 1300 Bilbao was granted the status of city and the control of the maritime traffic entering its estuary. The first docks were built at Bilbao's old town, 15 km (9.1mi) away from the sea.
These docks were the center of the port's activity for more than five centuries.
In 1511 the Consulate of Bilbao privilege was granted, which allowed the port control over the northern European wool export routes.
During the 19th century extensive iron resources were found in the nearby hills, this boosted the industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
in the zone and the estuary of Bilbao was covered by steel and shipbuilding industries and the docks expanded from Bilbao to the bay. All activity relied on the navigability of the river so engineer Evaristo Churruca
Evaristo de Churruca y Brunet
Evaristo de Churruca y Brunet Spanish Engineer. He directed diverse construction work in Murcia and Biscay and subsequently was transferred to Puerto Rico, where was in charge of the installation of the telegraphic network of the island and carried out a study for the improvement of the port of...
developed an enormous project that would solve the traditional navigation problems of the river:
- Dangerous sand banks that changed the course constantly.
- Many complicated meanders.
- Large extents of marshMarshIn geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
. - The Bay of BiscayBay of BiscayThe Bay of Biscay is a gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean located south of the Celtic Sea. It lies along the western coast of France from Brest south to the Spanish border, and the northern coast of Spain west to Cape Ortegal, and is named in English after the province of Biscay, in the Spanish...
storms that hit the river's mouth.
The river banks were drained and docks were built, the river's course was straightened, the external port was enclosed, and the Puente Colgante
Puente Colgante
The Vizcaya Bridge , is a transporter bridge that links the towns of Portugalete and Las Arenas in the Biscay province of Spain, crossing the mouth of the Nervion River....
transporter bridge
Transporter bridge
A transporter bridge is a type of movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river. The gondola is slung from a tall span by wires or a metal frame. The design has been used to cross navigable rivers or other bodies of water, where there is a requirement for ship traffic to be...
was built.
By 1900 Bilbao had Spain's biggest port. This allowed the fast development of the region's economy, and shipyards and steelmills covered the banks of the river. During the 1970s the Santurtzi area was developed and the Deusto channel was created.
But things continued to evolve, the industry decayed and docks were abandoned. On top of that, vessels have constantly increased their tonnage and large tanker
Tanker (ship)
A tanker is a ship designed to transport liquids in bulk. Major types of tankship include the oil tanker, the chemical tanker, and the liquefied natural gas carrier.-Background:...
s and freighters
Cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
could not enter the river anymore and the Santurtzi area became too congested. In 1975 a large project was conceived, known as the Superpuerto. The plan is for all of Abra Bay to eventually be enclosed by docks. The project continues today.
Shipping
The containerContainerization
Containerization is a system of freight transport based on a range of steel intermodal containers...
volume was over half a million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) in year 2007. The Port is the 4th busiest port in Spain after Algeciras
Algeciras
Algeciras is a port city in the south of Spain, and is the largest city on the Bay of Gibraltar . Port of Algeciras is one of the largest ports in Europe and in the world in three categories: container,...
, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and Valencia and is Spain's largest.
From 1998 to the present, the port's physical capacity has increased dramatically, so this has influenced the increase of traffic in the last years.
The port is served by the RENFE
RENFE
Renfe Operadora is the state-owned company which operates freight and passenger trains on the 1668-mm "Iberian gauge" and 1435-mm "European gauge" networks of the Spanish national railway infrastructure company ADIF .- History :The name RENFE is derived from that of the former Spanish National...
railroad, but a new rail connection is needed because the current line is shared by commuter traffic and goes through a densely populated metropolitan area
Gran Bilbao
Greater Bilbao is an administrative division of the province of Biscay, in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the seven comarcas of Biscay and the most populated one...
. A high speed
Basque Y
Basque Y is the name given to the Spanish high-speed rail network being built between the three cities of the Basque Country autonomous community; Bilbao, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain.-Characteristics:...
connection is being considered, but Spain's current high-speed network does not support goods traffic.
Cruise ships
A new dock was built in GetxoGetxo
Getxo is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain.It is part of the metropolitan area of Bilbao , and has about 83,000 inhabitants...
to meet the increasing demand in cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
traffic, fed largely by the opening of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The...
in 1998, which has brought in many more tourists and put Bilbao on the cruising routes.
Ferries
The P&OP&O Ferries
P&O Ferries is the current name for the amalgamation of a range of ferry services that operated from the United Kingdom to Ireland and Continental Europe...
ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, with the Pride of Bilbao
Pride of Bilbao
MS "Princess Anastasia" is a cruiseferry owned by St. Peter Line. Until September 2010, she was known as "Pride of Bilbao", operated by P&O Ferries on their Portsmouth–Bilbao route. The vessel was built in 1986 as the Olympia by the Wärtsilä shipyard in Turku, Finland for Rederi AB Slite, Sweden...
, leaves from the Santurtzi docks. This service started in May 1993. However on 15 January 2010, P&O announced that the route was to be closed.
In September 2010, Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries
Brittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
announced that it would take over the Portsmouth-Bilbao route, with the MV Cap Finistère
MV Cap Finistère
MV Cap Finistère is a cruiseferry owned by and operated by Brittany Ferries on their Portsmouth - Santander and Portsmouth - Cherbourg route...
. The service is scheduled to commence on 27 March 2011. The service will complement their existing Portsmouth-Santander
Santander, Cantabria
The port city of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community and historical region of Cantabria situated on the north coast of Spain. Located east of Gijón and west of Bilbao, the city has a population of 183,446 .-History:...
and Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
-Santander routes.
Previously, between May 2006 and January 2007, Acciona Trasmediterranea
Acciona Trasmediterránea
Acciona Trasmediterránea is part of the Acciona group. It operates passengers and cargo ferries between mainland Spain and the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, and northern Africa.-History:...
operated a service using the mv Fortuny. However this service was closed on 20th January 2007.
Environment
There has been a lot of concern about the huge enlargement project of the exterior port. Ecologist movements protest because large portions of the bay are being covered by docks and the adjacent hills are being dynamited to get the raw materials used in the construction of the new docks.Statistics
| Port Statistics | |||||||
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| Year | Annual Cargo | Liquid | Containers | Passengers | Vessels | Cruises | |
| 2000 | 28,633,903 | 14,764,295 | 434,333 | 129,631 | 3,796 | ||
| 2001 | 27,100,442 | 14,325,857 | 454,382 | 134,954 | 3,845 | 17 | |
| 2002 | 26,257,108 | 13,125,429 | 455,019 | 138,852 | 3,673 | 19 | |
| 2003 | 28,099,276 | 15,662,945 | 453,763 | 111,622 | 3,458 | 17 | |
| 2004 | 33,214,274 | 18,598,894 | 468,959 | 144,677 | 3.710 | 21 | |
| 2005 | 34,100,494 | 19,684,506 | 503,811 | 177,795 | 3,583 | 21 | |
| 2006 | 38,590,827 | 22,289,779 | 523,113 | 185,388 | 3,683 | 21 | |
| 2007 | 40,014,326 | 22,682,181 | 554,568 | 172,626 | 3,595 | 21 | |
| 2008 | 39,397,938 | 23,057,334 | 557,355 | 179,572 | 3,585 | 38 | |
- Annual Cargo: In tons
- Liquid: Liquid cargo (in tons) at the port, including petroleumPetroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
and LNG at Petronor and BBG.
- Containers: ATM and TMB terminals. Measured in TEUTwenty-foot equivalent unitThe twenty-foot equivalent unit is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals...
s.
- Passengers: Passengers transported by the Pride of Bilbao P&OP&O FerriesP&O Ferries is the current name for the amalgamation of a range of ferry services that operated from the United Kingdom to Ireland and Continental Europe...
ferryFerryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
and cruises at the quay in GetxoGetxoGetxo is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain.It is part of the metropolitan area of Bilbao , and has about 83,000 inhabitants...
- Vessels: Vessels that berthed at the port.
- Cruises: CruiseCruising (maritime)Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...
ships berthed in GetxoGetxoGetxo is a town located in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country, in the north of Spain.It is part of the metropolitan area of Bilbao , and has about 83,000 inhabitants...
. Note that prior to 2006 cruisesCruising (maritime)Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...
anchoraged in SanturtziSanturtziSanturtzi is a port town in the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of Basque Country, Spain. It is located in the Bilbao Abra bay, near the mouth of the Nervión river, on its left bank, 14km downriver from Bilbao and forms part of the Greater Bilbao agglomeration...
.
Gallery
Image:Granbilbao.jpg|View of the estuary and port from Rontegi bridge.
External links
- Uniport Bilbao - Port operating companies.
- Daily vessel report
- Google Maps image of the port