First, we hosted the world’s premier sailing event, the America’s Cup, which represented an unprecedented challenge for all the people and institutions involved. Second, the Port was able to improve its response to the growing tensions that the various situations of instability have generated in logistics chains around the world. Not only were we resilient in the face of the challenges put before us, but we also achieved significant increases in our main traffic segments in a difficult context in our leading markets.

Hosting the America’s Cup was understood as a unique opportunity to consolidate Barcelona and its port as a global benchmark in nautical technology and once again to project our city’s best image. The event accelerated the implementation of many of the projects to be developed in Port Vell and meant a challenge for our organisation. One after another, the various difficulties that arose were overcome and that is why, in this letter, I would like to recognise all the professionals at the Port of Barcelona for their effort and dedication.

In the international context, during 2024, tensions persisted in Ukraine and Gaza, with repercussions throughout the Middle East – Syria and the Suez Canal – and the economic slowdown in much of Europe and our foreland deepened. While these events affected maritime trade, for much of the year, a significant rise in transits, as well as increased imports and exports, meant that the Port of Barcelona was able to manage double-digit growth in total traffic and containers, and the situations of congestion in container traffic occurring at the start of the year were overcome.

The America’s Cup and the upturns in traffic generated daily urgent work to be addressed, but the Port of Barcelona continued to move forward in the schedule of major projects specified in the Fourth Strategic Plan and with which we are developing the port of the future.

In sustainability, we took firm steps in wharf electrification and transition fuels. As part of the Nexigen wharf electrification plan, we launched the first onshore power supply (OPS) system at the Hutchison Ports BEST container terminal and became the first port in the Mediterranean to supply 100% renewable electricity to container ships. We also made progress in OPS installation at the Barcelona Grimaldi Terminal ferry terminal, which will enter service in 2025, and in developing the rest of the Nexigen plan, which includes building a new electrical substation, the new medium-voltage network for the entire port and an underwater pipeline between the Energy wharf and Adossat wharf, which will make it possible to electrify the cruise terminals.

We also took a significant leap forward in the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a fuel for ships, with 60.5% growth compared to 2023, validating the Port of Barcelona’s commitment to this transition fuel towards zero-emission fuels, which, we expect, will begin to be supplied to our port in the medium term.

We became the first port in the Mediterranean to supply 100% renewable electricity to container ships

As regards infrastructure, during 2024 we worked on important projects like the future cruise and ferry terminals at Adossat wharf; we launched the tender to award a public vehicle terminal at Príncep d’Espanya wharf; the new headquarters of the Port Police and new private 5G network, with high capacity and reliability, became operational, and more. The financing agreement for the new road and rail accesses to the Port of Barcelona was also signed by the Ministry of Transport, ADIF, Puertos del Estado and the Port of Barcelona, with an investment of roughly €730 million. This strategic and highly-anticipated infrastructure, together with the construction of sidings and improvements to the rail network, will make it possible for us to offer much more efficient and competitive services to our hinterland.

The BCN Port Innovation foundation now exceeds 30 partners from the maritime, port and technological sectors

In terms of innovation, the BCN Port Innovation foundation now exceeds 30 partners from the maritime, port and technological sectors; and BlueTechPort, the innovation hub in the Port of Barcelona’s blue economy, opened the doors on phase one of the Sant Bertran sheds, where four companies have already settled in. BlueTechPort and the BCN Port Innovation foundation are the Port of Barcelona’s tools to promote innovation in its Port Community and facilitate the transformation towards models that make economic development compatible with conservation of the marine environment. During the coming years we want to continue to develop the ambitious 25,000m²-plus project, which will convert the old warehouses of Sant Bertran into a hub of companies, institutions and knowledge centres related to the blue economy.

As I said at the start, during 2024 the Barcelona Port Community did a lot of work, was able to provide an efficient response to the challenges it faced and continued to lay the foundations of a solid future. Thanks to factors such as digitalisation and process innovation, we gained experience in managing complex situations. And in the years ahead we plan to continue work on important long-term projects like reorganising port spaces and activities towards the south, rolling out photovoltaics and drafting the future 2026-2030 Strategic Plan – all with the aim of being an ever more resilient and competitive port, one working to offer the fast and efficient services that our country’s companies and our citizens need.