Moroccan businessmen visit ValenciaPort, the best connected port in Spain
A delegation of Moroccan businessmen, accompanied by Jalal Benhayoun, Director General of the Regional Investment Centre of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Region (CRI-TTA), visited the installations of the Port of Valencia to see "in situ" the services offered and the expansion work being carried out, a port which moves more than 5 million TEUs (small containers). This figure places it in first place among the Mediterranean countries and also in comparison with other ports in Spain and fourth in Europe.
The visit was part of the programme "Doing Business in Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima" held in Valencia to inform Valencian entrepreneurs of the business opportunities offered by the north of Morocco, an event organised by the CRI-TTA, the Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Morocco-Tangier, the Consulate General of the Kingdom of Morocco in Valencia, the Council of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima Region, the Morocco-Spain Economic Council (CEMAES), the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) of the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, the Chamber of Commerce of Valencia, the Business Confederation of the Valencian Community-CEV, the Valencian Institute of Business Competitiveness IVACE and the Port Authority of Valencia.
Before the tour, Marta Alborch, from the Commercial and Business Development Department of the Port Authority, explained the main characteristics of ValenciaPort, as it is known, its public identity dependent on the Ministry of Transport and its main facilities, which include three container terminals (two public and one private), a liquid bulk terminal, another solid bulk terminal, a cargo vehicle terminal and the passenger terminal, in addition to the north terminal which is being built with public-private financing and which will be energy self-sufficient and with the objective of zero emissions.
As for the jobs generated, there are nearly 50,000 direct and indirect jobs, which represents 3.1% of the gross value.
Containers, with a percentage of 70 %, are the main type of cargo handled in the Valencian port, followed by road traffic and liquid and solid bulk. In relation to the rest of the Spanish ports, 40 % of the containers enter through Valencia. "We are the best connected port in Spain, united with more than a thousand ports, which makes us very attractive and we occupy 19th place in the United Nations ranking", they affirmed.
In addition to the great options for getting goods out of Valencia, they also focus on land transport, mainly to Madrid, with more than 90 trains a week and with a direct railway line to Lisbon. In this sense, the Port Authority has invested 53 million euros to upgrade the railway line to Zaragoza.
The businessmen were given a guided tour by Teresa García Ibarra, from the Port Authority, of the different terminals and the expansion area of this "economically, environmentally and socially sustainable" port, which is committed to being a green, intelligent and innovative "hub", with wind energy projects, which carries out quality controls on both air and water quality and which has become the first port to supply green hydrogen, among other innovative aspects.
They also explained the main characteristics of the other two ports in the province: Sagunto, 30 km to the north, and Gandía, 60 km to the south.
A more than interesting explanation and visit which highlighted the importance of this port for future business and investments and in which it was clear that in the not too distant future there will also be a ferry linking the Moroccan cities of Tangier and Casablanca with Valencia.