The The Port Authority of Valencia (PAV) has laid out a Strategic Plan for 2020 under which the new challenges posed by the current economic scenario will be met.
The PAV reached the objectives set out in its Strategic Plan 2015 ahead of time. In recent years, growth at the PAV has surpassed the figures set out in the 2015 Strategic Plan, in 2010 4.2 million TEUs were handled, thus exceeding the strategic growth objective for container throughput.
The economic crisis has had a strong impact on sea trade. The 2010-2020 cycle presented new challenges and threats, obliging the PAV to make a new approach to its strategies: profitability levels need to be maintained to offer competitive charges, reduce port call costs due to intensified port competition, and continue to improve the efficiency of services provided to shipping lines and carriers.
In a context such as this, economic sustainability is a key factor in allowing Valenciaport to fulfil its mission.
Valenciaport mission
To sustainably promote the external competitiveness of the business community in Valenciaport’s area of influence by providing quality, competitively-priced port, shipping, intermodal and logistics infrastructures and services which are aligned with European transport policies.
- Economic sustainability: optimisation of income, costs and investments to ensure PAV’s self-funding in the short and long term.
- Social sustainability: coordination to ensure correct remuneration and coexistence for the different agents in the port community.
- Environmental sustainability: minimisation of negative impacts on water and air quality, and noise levels.
- Alignment with European transport policies: promotion of railway intermodality and short sea shipping.
Improvements in making infrastructure and services more competitive imply greater market orientation and the enhancement of the PAV’s role as a regulator/coordinator in the Port Community.
This global strategy is fully aligned with the specialisation and the complementary nature of the traffic handled in the ports managed by the PAV.
Proposed specialisation for the PAV ports for the 2020 horizon
Valencia: interoceanic and urban port
- Combination of Import/Export (I/E) containers and interoceanic transit container traffic
- Cruise and ferry traffic
- Recreational sailing
Sagunto: industrial port
- Specialised in iron and steel, vehicle and special transport
- Short-distance containers
- Bulk goods
- Recreational sailing
Gandía: local port
- Conventional general cargo: paper and wood
- Recreational sailing
Strategy and positioning
Strategy:
Exploitation of Valenciaport’s capacity as a mixed hub, optimising port call costs and volume/mix of local import-export.
Positioning:
- Services: Strengthening its regulatory and coordinating role to improve the efficiency of freight handling and enhance logistics and intermodal integration.
- Traffic: Focus on a combination of import/export and transit container, and selective capture of other traffic, especially cruise traffic.
- Hinterland: Consolidation in the Iberian Peninsula and progressive development of MENA and Southern European countries.
- Foreland: Consolidation in Asia and the Atlantic and progressive development of MENA, Western African and Southern European countries