1.4 Infrastructure and capacity

General technical characteristics of the port (I_07)

One of the priority functions of the Huelva Port Authority is to optimise the layout and condition of its infrastructures so that they adequately meet the needs of its customers.

The general characteristics of the Huelva Port are as follows:

It is located at the confluence of the rivers Tinto and Odiel and its terrestrial Service Zone has a surface area of 1,784 hectares and an area of land available for concession of 524 hectares. This Service Area is delimited on the right bank by the Juan Carlos I sand containment dyke, 13 km long, and integrated on the left bank by the two port areas in which it is configured: the Inner Port and the Outer Port.

In the Inner Port there are two different port use zones, industrial and commercial:

• The Muelle de Levante area and the Polígono Pesquero Norte, where the main uses are general goods traffic, shallow-draft cruise ships, the fishing industry, commercial and service facilities and machinery maintenance and storage facilities.
• The Punta del Sebo transverse zone, where until very recently, the main uses were the basic chemical industry and activities complementary to this industry. Faced with the reduction in the number of factories dedicated to basic chemistry, auxiliary industries are gradually being set up. Close to these facilities are the Tinto Marshes, which constitute an open space where actions have been carried out for their recovery and enhancement.

Similarly, in the Outer Port, there are also different zones differentiated by the type of activities:

• The area of Ingeniero Juan Gonzalo Wharf and its surroundings, which is mainly used for bulk solid traffic.
• The concessioned pontoon area, mainly used to handle bulk liquid energy traffic.
• The South Wharf, dedicated to container, passenger, ro-roand general cargo traffic.
• The Monobuoy for loading and unloading crude oil.

In terms of navigable areas, it is worth highlighting the navigation channel, the most relevant characteristics of which are detailed in the attached table:

1) Project draft. The actual draught at any given time shall take into account the minimum sounding corresponding to the last bathymetric survey and shall be consulted through the authorised agents.

The following table summarises the characteristics of the quays and terminals that the Huelva Port Authority, as a provider of port infrastructures, places at the service of maritime trade.

(*) The actual draught at any given time shall be that of the minimum sounding corresponding to the last bathymetric survey carried out and shall be consulted through the authorised consignees 2644. (**) Total length of wharf.

The main accesses to the Huelva Port by road are from the A-49 motorway (Seville-Huelva-Portugal), via the N-441 (to the North), H-31 (to the East) and H-30 (Ronda Este de Huelva), which extends to the South with the N-442, from which the Outer Port is accessed. The N-435 (from Badajoz and Zafra to Huelva) is also important for the Huelva Port in the connection with Extremadura.

Through the connection line with the general network, the Outer Port of the Huelva Port is connected by rail from its rail terminal at the South Wharf to the Huelva Mercancías rail terminal, a rail logistics centre from which goods are dispatched, received and sorted. From Huelva Mercancías, the Huelva Port has access to the Huelva-Zafra and Huelva-Sevilla railway lines. Since December 2016, there has been a Port terminal in Majarabique which forms a node for the distribution of traffic with the rest of the Spanish and European rail network.

Infrastructures under implementation or project and purposes served (I_08)

The Huelva Port Authority invested 33 million euros in 2023 to adapt its infrastructures to existing needs.

The following relevant actions have been completed this year:

1. North Extension of the South Wharf.
2. Installation of video-surveillance cameras for port operations in the Huelva Port.
3. Remodelling work on the area around the Monumento a la Fe Descubridora.

A brief description of these is given below:

1. North Extension of the South Wharf

The works consisted of extending the existing South Wharf of the Huelva Port by a length of 526 metres. The structural typology is that of a screen pier with a main screen anchored to an anchoring screen on the backside. Both screens are made of sheet piling. The work includes two different draught zones, one with a draught of 10 m (southern half) and the other with a draught of 6 m (northern half). However, the design of the Wharf allows the depth to be adapted to the future needs of the Huelva Port Authority up to a maximum depth of 17 metres.

The crest elevation of the pier is +6.50 m (approximately, since the road surface has drainage slopes). The cantilever beam and the rear rail beam of the container crane are made of reinforced concrete and function as tie beams for the sheet pile screens.

In addition, an area with a width of 40.75 m including the cantilever beam and the lane beams have been paved with HP-40 reinforced concrete with a thickness of 0.28 m executed on an all-embracing levelled area and a layer of artificial gravel. From this point onwards, the termination is provisional with a 1.25 m thick layer of quarry material.

2. Installation of video-surveillance cameras for port operations in the Huelva Port

The Huelva Port, in view of the significant growth in the movement of goods and the diversity of its traffic, has become an industrial logistics node of reference on the Peninsula and is currently the leading industrial enclave in Andalusia, the second most important centre in Spain and, more importantly, the economic engine of Huelva and its surroundings. This project is therefore of particular relevance in view of the need to achieve the level of safety and security of port operations and maritime traffic.

The maritime traffic that operates in the Port of Huelva is increasingly abundant, with vessels of various types accessing the Port along a docking line of more than 15 kilometers.

The maritime traffic operating in the Huelva Port is increasingly abundant, with vessels of various types (large gas and oil tankers, bulk carriers, cruise ships, containers, recreational craft, etc.) accessing the Port along a mooring line of more than 15 kilometres, with entry/exit from the open sea through the Padre Santo Channel.

Although the Huelva Port has modern specific systems for the control and management of maritime traffic through the Canal, it was necessary to incorporate new video surveillance systems equipped with intelligent video analytics to visualise all port operations taking place in real time and in any situation (day, night, rain, fog, etc.), enabling greater control of traffic flows.

To this end, a video surveillance network has been set up on the right bank of the estuary, along the entire road to the Juan Carlos I wharf and its surroundings, with a distribution of cameras that provides continuous coverage of images of ships or vessels throughout their route, whether in the anchorage area or the inner harbour itself.

3. Remodelling work on the area around the Monumento a la Fe Descubridora

Having completed the work to restore the Monumento a la Fe Descubridora in summer 2020, the project to remodel the area surrounding the Columbus Monument, the space that surrounds the symbolic cubist figure located at the Punta del Sebo, has been completed, giving value to the entire area of the confluence between the rivers Tinto and Odiel.

The remodelling has led to the creation of a new multifunctional axis for activities in the area of the promenade before the monument. The existing pedestrian area up to the monument and its square has been increased. The entire area has also been fitted with new street furniture along the lines of the Paseo de la Ría and Avenida Francisco Montenegro, as well as LED lighting, beacons and signage. The project carried out in this area has sought to humanise and environmentally transform the pedestrian arrival, eliminating road traffic and connecting the marshland with the landscaped area, generating a multifunctional public space that becomes an attraction and encourages pedestrian traffic between the city and Punta del Sebo, passing through the Río Tinto Wharf, the Paseo de la Ría, Avenida Francisco Montenegro and several paths. The last area of action was the Punta del Sebo promenade, seeking to recover the historic eucalyptus promenade. As part of the Huelva Port’s sustainability strategy, a more sustainable irrigation system has also been installed, which will allow the green areas to be irrigated with raw water.

Other actions that were initiated in previous years and are still underway include:

1. Partial demolition of the fish market and exporters’ warehouses.
2. Rehabilitation to guarantee the stability and structural safety of the loading dock of the Compañía Española de Minas de Tharsis.
3. New ro-ro Platform at the South Wharf of the Huelva Port
4. Connection works to the South Wharf sewerage system

A brief description of these actions is given below:

1. Partial demolition of the fish market and exporters’ warehouses

In recent years, the Huelva Port Authority has been making a major effort for Port-City integration. This includes planning for the integral remodelling of the Levante Wharf. To this end, a number of actions are being carried out, including the partial demolition of the fish market and the exporters’ warehouses, the construction of the new fish market and new warehouses for fish and seafood exporters.

Both the new fish market and the new exporters’ warehouses have been completed, so the object of this action is the partial demolition of the old fish market and the exporters’ warehouse, in order to be able to continue with the integral remodelling of the quay.

2. Rehabilitation to guarantee the stability and structural safety of the Compañía Española de Minas de Tharsis loading dock

The loading dock of the Compañía Española de Minas de Tharsis is an important symbolic element for the city of Huelva, due to its important role in the economic and social evolution of the surrounding area and its link to its recent history. It is a sign of identity that citizens are calling for to be rehabilitated.

The works involve a series of actions necessary to guarantee the stability and structural safety of the Loading Dock, as the general state of deterioration of the dock’s structure is currently very advanced.

3. New ro-ro Platform at the South Wharf of the Huelva Port

A large part of the loading and unloading operations at the South Wharf are carried out by roll-on roll-off systems through gates located at the stern of the vessels. The quay currently has a ro-ro ramp 200 m from the southern end, with capacity for 2 vessels, allowing the operation of vessels of about 175 m in length and 27 m in breadth.

Due to the recent increase in this type of traffic, following the implementation of a new regular line with the Canary Islands, and given the forecasts for growth and the implementation of new regular ro-ro lines with North Africa, it is necessary to improve the quay’s operations by building a new ro-ro ramp at the southernmost end of the quay, compatible with the current ramp, so that in the future up to four ro-ro vessels can operate simultaneously.

4. Connection works to the South Wharf sewerage system

Currently, the South Wharf has a sewerage system made up of accumulation in tanks, which is insufficient in the medium term to house the facilities that are being developed there, such as the Multifunctional Building and the new Rearrangement of Accesses to the South Wharf, which houses several buildings. There are several decantation wells where wastewater is discharged, which are emptied periodically, and which are not connected to the Basic Network.

Currently, the South Pier has a sanitation system through accumulation in tanks, which is insufficient in the medium term.

Therefore, this action will develop a sewage collection system that connects the south quay with the Basic Network, specifically at the Villafría pumping station, from where it is pumped to the treatment plant.

This action is financed with funds from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM).

In addition, the following proceedings were initiated:

• New single access to the Outer Port
• Extension of paving and electrical power at the Minerals Wharf
• Construction project works to enable the operation of 550 m long trains at the Majarabique complex
• Rehabilitation of track 2S2
• Extension of the car park at Punta del Sebo
• Refurbishment of Casa del Vigía

1. New single access to the Outer Harbour

The works included in this project involve the construction of an access to the outer harbour from the existing oval roundabout-type level intersection of the N-442 with the H-624 to Palos de la Frontera and the installation of a new, modern access control system. The planned route will be adaptable to the new future route of the N-442 proposed by the Ministry of Development.

A road with a different level crossing is included to cross the current railway line that runs parallel to the boundary of the Port Authority’s public domain.

2. Extension of paving and electrical power at the Minerals Wharf

The works consist of the paving of the Minerals dock to enlarge the exploitation surface that is currently on dirt; the execution of a new drainage network that empties into the collectors that connect to the recently executed retention tank, as well as medium voltage lines for the supply to the new transformation centre and low voltage installation, in order to comply with the Innovation Plan for Transport and Infrastructures 2017-20250 of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda.

3. Construction project works to enable the operation of 550 m long trains at the Majarabique complex

The Majarabique Intermodal Terminal is a Logistics Platform fully integrated with the South Wharf terminal of the Huelva Port, whose development and specialisation is a priority for the HPA due to its location and characteristics.

In response to the need to improve this intermodal platform, the aim is to carry out the design of the remodelling of the northern head of the Commercial Depots of Majarabique Station to obtain a useful track length of 550m on the two tracks concessioned to the HPA, which involves the modification and displacement of the track devices currently installed for the rearrangement of the head of the bundle of tracks.

This action is financed with funds from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM).

4. Rehabilitation of track 2S2

Since the entry into force of the Railway Sector Act 39/2003, dated 17th November, the Port Authorities of each Port of General Interest have exercised certain functions assigned to the rail infrastructure manager with regard to the existing rail infrastructures in the Ports of General Interest.

For this reason, the Huelva Port Authority took the decision to improve the railway infrastructure, inherited from the former RENFE in a poor state, and has been carrying out actions to improve the entire infrastructure.

The purpose of this action is the renewal of track 2S2 in the following sections:

• Section I: Track 2S2-2 from k.p. 0+080 to k.p. 1+178. 1+178
• Section II: Track 2S2-1 from k.p. 2+970 to k.p. 3+740
• Section III: Track 2S2-2 from k.p. 4+380 to k.p. 6+340

On these sections, the current supporting layers will be renewed and rehabilitated: sub-ballast and ballast, and the current wooden sleepers and the RN-45 type rail will be replaced.

This action is financed with funds from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM).

5. Extension of the car park at Punta del Sebo

This action aims to meet the needs of the number of parking spaces available, so the total number of parking spaces will be as follows:

• Parking spaces for vehicles: 129 units.
• Parking spaces for people with reduced mobility: 4 units.
• Parking spaces for motorcyclists: 6 units.

For the extension of these car parks, the adjoining undeveloped plot will be used, where existing pavements and pavements will have to be demolished and dismantled, earthworks will be carried out to prepare the land and then pavements will be laid with drainage, lighting and vertical and horizontal signposting.

6. Refurbishment of “Casa del Vigía”

The “Casa del Vigía” building was restored by the Huelva Port Authority in 2006, and ceded to the Town Council of Palos de la Frontera, together with the “Casa de los Prácticos” and the Pasarela de Pesca Deportiva, for twenty years, which can be extended. However, before the end of these twenty years, these structures reverted to the Huelva Port.

Once the building had been returned, studies are carried out to determine the state of the building. These studies conclude that these are “structures with deterioration or pathologies that may result in a modification of the resistant behaviour or a significant reduction in service levels” and that rehabilitation action is therefore required.

The Casa del Vigía building was restored by the Port Authority of Huelva in 2006 and transferred to the Palos de la Frontera City Council.

The purpose of the project is the refurbishment of the “Casa del Vigía” building owned by the Huelva Port Authority, located in the municipality of Palos de la Frontera (Huelva).

In addition to the projects required to implement some of the investments described above, a number of projects have been drafted during 2023, some of which are still under implementation, including the following:

• Project to open up the channel to new traffic.
• Rail Terminal Expansion Project.
• Levante Wharf Remodelling Project
• Project for a wharf for liquid bulk terminal to the south of the Ingeniero Juan Gonzalo wharf.

Industrial promotion and logistics initiatives (I_09)

The mission and vision expressed in the Port’s Strategic Plan explicitly identifies the improvement of the Port’s connectivity and intermodality as a determining factor which has led the Port to focus on its development, especially with regard to rail transport.

The strategic relevance of intermodality in the Huelva Port is currently based on four key pillars:

a) The Majarabique Intermodal Railway Platform, located in Seville and owned by the Huelva Port Authority.

b) The Logistics Activity Zone, currently being planned, which will allow the confluence of different types of companies and activities that provide continuity, quality services, transformation and added value to the transport chains that converge in the port area.

c) The Port’s rail infrastructure and connectivity, which will enable more sustainable and efficient access to maritime transport. (See I_22)

d) The Multimodal Platform of the Huelva Port, co-financed by the CEF Programme (Connecting Europe Facility) and located in the South Wharf of the Port with direct connection to the maritime container terminal. (See I_22).

For the Huelva Port Authority, the Majarabique Railway Terminal is a project integrated with its maritime terminal and is considered a true “extension” of it.

It is located in the northern area of Seville, in the municipalities of Seville and La Rinconada, adjacent to the SE-20 and SE-40 ring roads and the northern access to Seville, and forms part of the Seville railway junction with Madrid and Extremadura, thus enabling a direct and efficient railway connection between the hinterland of the Huelva Port located in the Mediterranean and Atlantic corridors and with Extremadura.

It is a priority for the Huelva Port to continue consolidating, strengthening and specialising this terminal, as its position makes the Huelva Port an even more attractive option for maritime routing of containerised rail cargo from the central axis (Cordoba, Jaen, Castilla La Mancha, Madrid and Zaragoza), with Atlantic ports as destinations (Canary Islands, West Africa, Latin America and North-West Europe, among others), achieving optimised times and costs in the entire logistics chain.

Particularly noteworthy is the investment effort that the Port Authority is making in Majarabique and the Seville-Huelva railway section, with the creation of new sidings to speed up the transport of goods to their destination, with a value of €11 million.
On 23 January 2017, ADIF and the Huelva Port Authority signed a contract for the lease of a plot of land on which to develop a loading and unloading point for goods transported by rail at the Seville Majarabique facility, with several extensions having been carried out to the extent that it now has a total surface area of 67,550m².

The operation of this Railway Terminal was awarded by public tender to the company Termisur Eurocargo, S.A., which began operating it in July 2017. From then until today, the rate of container rail traffic from Majarabique to the Huelva Port is close to forty trains per month, distributed in an average of twenty direct trains between Majarabique and the South Wharf of the Huelva Port, to which must be added the twenty trains per month coming directly from the hinterland of Madrid

The strategic importance of Majarabique has encouraged the Huelva Port to join the Andalusian Logistics Network in November 2020, with the interest of developing this Logistics Area of the Regional Government of Andalusia, which was approved and declared of general interest by the Governing Council on 6 November 2018

In 2023, work began on the extension of the track, which will allow trains of more than 550 m in length to run on it, with work scheduled for completion in early 2024.

Rail connections

Two weekly frequencies:

• Majarabique – Puerto Huelva.

RENFE Multiclientes. Two weekly frequencies. Majarabique connection with:

• Madrid Abroñigal
• Barcelona Morrot
• Tarragona Constanti
• Bilbao Mercancías
• Bilbao Noatum

Three weekly frequencies:

• Madrid – Puerto Huelva

The Logistics Activity Zone (ZAL) project, essential for the future development of the Huelva Port and its entire area of influence, has an approximate surface area of 60 hectares, with the possibility of expansion, and is located in Punta del Sebo, a location with a markedly industrial character and with availability of land with services and good road and rail accessibility.

The ZAL will occupy a central position between the Huelva Port and the urban centre, which will allow the confluence of different types of companies and activities that provide continuity, quality services, transformation and added value to the transport chains that converge in the port area, as well as favouring the generation of employment, the loyalty of current traffic and the promotion of new future traffic.

This project is essential to generate added value in Huelva and to promote the development of the business fabric and the generation of stable employment, with a clean processing industry.

The Logistics Activity Zone will occupy a central position between the Port of Huelva and the urban center, which will allow the confluence of different types of companies and activities.

The ZAL of the Huelva Port will optimally serve the sectors of greatest relevance and activity in the surrounding area, having identified key sectors for business projects in specialised logistics activities:

• Generalist logistics.
• Agri-food sector.
• Industrial-Logistics Sector.
• Health Sector.

The commercialisation of the location continued in 2023 and was concluded with the submission of a bid to the Zal tender.

Furthermore, in the field of industrial promotion, work continued in 2023 on various working groups with institutions such as AIQBE (Association of Chemical, Basic and Energy Industries of Huelva), IDEA Agency and “Invest in Andalusia”, with the aim of integrating the industrial and logistics projects of the Port Community companies in the Port’s planning, as well as to promote the available land in the Service Area to attract new investments.