This section provides a description of the infrastructure currently under development at ports operated by PAV:
- Construction of new roas access at the Port of Gandia
- Improvement of bearing capacity of Serpis quay at the Port of Gandia
- Border Control Post at the Port of Sagunto
- New access and relocation of the gates of the Public Container Terminal of the Port of Valencia
- Dredging and deepening of the Levante and Dársena Sur docks in the port of Valencia
- Refurbishment of the North Dock of the port of Gandía
- Extension of the MSC Terminal to the East of the Port of Valencia
- Buildings at the new Nautical Services Dock at the Port of Valencia
- Construction of the new lighthouse in the Port of Valencia’s North Extension
- Extension of the rail tracks on the Levante Quay at the Port of Valencia
- Breakwater construction for the Port of Valencia’s North Extension
Construction of new roas access at the Port of Gandia
The new south access road at the Port of Gandía connects the roundabout, where the works of the Directorate General of Roads end, with the inner road of the Port of Gandía. The access consists of two entrance gates, or lanes, and another two exit gates, through which access will be controlled. One of the gates has been designed to be of sufficient size to allow the access of special extra-long trailer lorries. A roundabout has also been constructed at the intersection –or connection- of the entrance and exit roads with the inner road of the Port of Gandía.
The work also included an earth retaining wall and the concrete perimeter wall bordering the Venecia neighbourhood, in accordance with the new ground plan of the area, and pedestrian access from the neighbourhood itself. The gate area is protected by a canopy, below which are different armoured huts so the Port Police and the Guardia Civil can carry out their control duties.
The works were completed in July 2020 at a cost of 1.9 million euros.
Improvement of bearing capacity of Serpis quay at the Port of Gandia
Works have been completed to improve the bearing capacity of the Serpis Quay at the Port of Gandia, with the objective of allowing larger scale equipment of types other than those currently in operation to be used at the terminal in loading and unloading operations.
The structural improvement of the quay was carried out along the entirety of its 319 metres in length and basically consisted of the replacement of the original cantilever beam with a larger one made of reinforced concrete. Into the back of this, the surface concrete slab – also reinforced- was embedded to support the chocks or tracks of the new stevedoring crane equipment.
Schematically, the works were divided into five parts:
- Preliminary works
- Demolition and excavation
- Superstructures
- Repositioning of anchoring and mooring elements
- Repositioning of services affected by works
The works were completed in October 2021 at a cost of close to two million euros.
Border Control Post at the Port of Sagunto
The new Border Control Post at the Port of Sagunto will allow the inspection of goods of animal and vegetable origin, thus responding to the export and import needs of the companies that make up the economic fabric of the province, making it possible to diversify the traffic that can operate in the port.
The entire programme is developed on a single floor which is located on a 31,200 m2 plot dedicated, for the most part, to the parking of heavy vehicles.
The goods inspection area is divided into five large blocks according to the type of goods to be received, stored and inspected. Namely:
- Products of Animal Origin Not for Human Consumption
- Products of Animal Origin Human Consumption
- Products of Non-Animal Origin Human Consumption
- Products of Non-Animal Origin Not for Human Consumption
- Flowers and Wood
Each block is equipped with goods reception rooms, including loading and unloading bays, inspection rooms, warehouses and chambers. The installation is prepared so that, if necessary, each of the inspection blocks can house an additional dock. The chambers for the storage of goods have different temperature conditions, being classified into ambient temperature chambers, refrigeration chambers, freezing chambers and bitémpera chambers.
The area for administrative use is made up of different areas: reception and access area, circulations, toilets and archives, inspectors’ offices, management office, open-plan office, staff rest area, installations rooms and general changing rooms.
At the southeast end, outside the main volume of the building, there are three small auxiliary buildings to house the storage of sampling material, a fire-fighting unit with its water tank, a transformation centre and a generator. Attached to the fire-fighting unit building are toilets for the users of the lorry parking area.
The execution of the works was carried out between July 2019 and May 2020 at a cost of 4 million euros, having been co-financed through the European Union’s “Connecting Europe” mechanism.
New access and relocation of the gates of the Public Container Terminal of the Port of Valencia
In order to adapt to the new standards of competitiveness, the Port Authority of Valencia has put out to tender the works for the remodelling of the Príncipe Felipe Railway Terminal in the Port of Valencia so that convoys of 750 m in length can be operated and sufficient space is reserved to be able to reach up to 1,000 m in the future.
The extension of the tracks, which this project entails, was incompatible with the old access to the Public Container Terminal, and two main actions were previously necessary: on the one hand, the relocation of the gates and their installations; and on the other, the construction of a new access road to the new location.
As a whole, these were the fundamental units carried out:
- Widening the Contradique South road from the Intradós roundabout, an 800 ml road was built with two lanes in each direction of traffic, which ends at a new roundabout built further north at the change of alignment of the Contradique.
- Access platform to the new gates, 150 m wide, built with HF-4.5 concrete on lean concrete.
Drainage network by means of a concreted ditch along the road, and with a collector-cazar on the access beach and lighting network with fibreglass poles and LED luminaires. - Construction of a new access to the terminal for heavy vehicles with 10 entry lanes and seven exit lanes, separated by traffic islands with marked defences and concrete side walls. Transfer of all the control elements from the old gates: weighbridges, number plate recognition cameras, barriers, documentation kiosks, CCTV cameras.
- Two canopies of 66×15 m², entrance, and 47×15 m², exit, made of laminated metal sections with pre-lacquered galvanised steel covers on both sides. They have a lighting network with LED projectors.
- Two-storey control building, located between the two canopies, 7×13 m² in plan, built of reinforced concrete structure with one-way floor slabs, face brick envelope with laminated plasterboard partitioning and inverted type passable roof. It has all the interior installations to be fitted out as an access control office.
- Updating of the software of the control and automation elements (PASS), and integration of the system with the terminal’s operating system (CATOS), with all the applications being migrated and fully functional.
- Relocation of the old light vehicle access: 18×8 m² canopy, office hut and all its control elements.
The two works were co-financed by the European Union through the project “Improvement of the hinterland rail connection to the Port of Valencia” (CONNECT VALENCIAPORT), within the “Connecting Europe Facility” (CEF) – INEA programme which regulates funding for trans-European transport networks (TEN-T Network).
The implementation of both projects, as a whole, was carried out between July 2018 and August 2019 at a cost of 4.1 million euros.
Dredging and deepening of the Levante and Dársena Sur docks in the port of Valencia
In order to respond to the new operational needs arising from the berthing of the latest generation Triple-E container ships, which require the use of larger equipment in stevedoring operations, an increase in the draught of the docks and their quays, the reinforcement of their foundations – formed by caissons – by means of a solution that does not compromise their stability, the construction of new superstructures and the adaptation of all their elements to the new use are required.
The following actions were planned and carried out: increase of the draft in the Transversal de Costa quay (-18 m) and in part of the Levante (-17 m), Príncipe Felipe and Costa (-18 m in both) quays; and dredging of the South dock (-18 m) and, partially, in the Levante (-17 m) and East (-18 m) docks.
The increase in the depth of the quays was carried out on a total of 1,980 ml of mooring line and required the following activities:
- Reinforcement of the quay by upgrading the sea side foot of the caissons with high pressure jet-grouting secant columns.
- Dredging of the mooring trench to the new level, removing part of the foundation bench and, where appropriate, the concrete slab protecting it.
- Reinforcement and adaptation of the superstructure by building new rail beams and replacement of the mooring and berthing elements.
- Replacement of the service networks affected by the execution of the works.
Three different types of equipment were used for the dredging of the docks: a suction dredger in motion with a bucket, a backhoe dredger with a transport dredger and a bottom leveller towed by a tug. The work was carried out on a net area of 87 ha, and the material obtained – 646,000 m³ – was transported and deposited at the bottom in an inland plot protected by protective dykes. To monitor the quality of the water, sediments and dispersion of the turbidity plume, 23 monitoring stations were set up.
The works, as a whole, were carried out between January 2017 and February 2019 at a cost of 14.7 million euros.
Refurbishment of the North Dock of the port of Gandía
The Port Authority of Valencia and the Gandía City Council agreed, through a Collaboration Agreement, to promote public accessibility to the North Dock of the port of Gandía, in which the APV was responsible for the execution of the works of the refurbishment project.
The project consisted of the construction of a 1,040 metre long pedestrian walkway along the entire length of the dock, built with mixed concrete made of steel and synthetic fibres to increase durability in the aggressive marine environment.
In the first 600 m, the closest to land, 4 m wide slabs were built on the crown of the breakwater. In the other 440 m, whose original section was of a staggered type, the slabs were built 2.90 m wide, with one half blown up and the other half anchored to the breakwater with chemical resin anchors to guarantee their stability.
It was also provided with elements of value for public use:
- Marble trencadís paving on all the slabs.
- Street furniture consisting of planters, litter bins and benches with built-in lights.
- Railings on both sides of the promenade, with high permeability to prevent possible overpasses and for visual aesthetics.
The works were completed in May 2017 at a cost of 1.4 million euros.
Extension of the MSC Terminal to the East of the Port of Valencia
The purpose of this project was to extend the storage area of the MSC terminal to the east, increasing the concession area by 23,350 m2. This new area complements the already constructed 70-ml quay and operations area, limiting the work to its south side and allowing access to the Nautical Services Dock on the north side.
The work included the construction of a new breakwater, with berm, formed by an all-in-one core protected on its outer face by a filter and a mantle of natural rockfill. The general infill, after being consolidated through preloading on land, has been crowned with stone and paved with artificial gravel and HF-4 concrete in deposit areas. The longitudinal and transverse crane rails for the gantry cranes (trastainers) were also built, along with the service networks for supply, medium voltage, lighting, fire, teleprocess and drainage.
The work was concluded in August 2016 for a total cost of 7.1 million euros.
Buildings at the new Nautical Services Dock at the Port of Valencia
Buildings have been constructed for the Nautical Services Dock, located in the centre of the Port of Valencia, to house the offices, control tower, storage and workshops for the companies that provide vessel pilotage, mooring, tug boat and underwater operations services.
They form a set of four buildings, with a unitary architectural language, located in front of the quays and berthing jetties of the fleet corresponding to each service.
Since pre-load was already available, the foundation was finished with a concrete slab. The structure is formed by concrete porticos equidistant from each other with metal pillars for cantilevers; the slabs are unidirectional and the roofs are of a passable inverted type. The outer coating is formed, depending on the area, by aluminium composite panels and extruded anodized aluminium slats.
The buildings have been equipped with the following facilities: lightning rods, cold water, solar heated potable water, ventilation, sanitation, low-voltage electricity, telephone and computer lines and fire protection.
The constructed area reaches 3,884 m2, with a useful area of 3,179 m2, with minimum and maximum heights of 7.50 m and 14.50 m, respectively.
Work was completed in February 2016 and its final cost amounted to 3.6 million euros.
Construction of the new lighthouse in the Port of Valencia’s North Extension
The Breakwater construction for the Port of Valencia’s North Extension left the old lighthouse (constructed in 1930) inside the port. The height of the new breakwaters created an area of shadow in the light signal that especially affected coastal navigation.
For this reason, a new lighthouse was planned and built in the outer area of the port, recovering the lost signal. It is 32 metres in height, visible from all waters within 25 nautical miles.
This lighthouse is the first in the world built entirely from composite materials such as carbon fibre and fibreglass in a polymer matrix. The entire facility is self-sufficient, using renewable energy from 10 photovoltaic panels and a vertical axis wind turbine that powers, among other elements, the main beacon that incorporates a 70-watt LED lamp. For easy recognition, the light has been given a characteristic signal of isolated flashes in 10 second periods: 0.8 seconds of light, 9.2 seconds of darkness.
The final budget of the work amounted to 0.9 million euros and was concluded in June 2015, officially entering service on the night of San Juan.
In March 2016, the lighthouse received the Innovation Award at the JEC 2016 Innovation Awards in Paris, in the category of structures made with “composites”.
It is also a finalist for the highly esteemed award from the International Association of Structural and Bridge Engineers (IASBE) which will be presented in September 2017.
Extension of the rail tracks on the Levante Quay at the Port of Valencia
The 2012-2024 Infrastructure, Transport and Housing Plan was intended, among other purposes, to reinforce intermodal connections. Within the scope of rail transport, the plans included the adaptation of the basic cargo network to allow the circulation of trains with standard interoperable lengths of 750 m, and the implementation of the standard gauge of 1,435 mm in the Mediterranean Corridor.
The work consisted of increasing the useful length of the rail tracks, which was 450 m, for train compositions of 750 m. It has a new layout at its south head to allow greater versatility in the terminal’s modes of operation. It included the installation of new mixed-width track sections and diversions as the first phase of the implementation of the standard gauge, interoperable with the port’s internal rail network. In order to optimize operations, crane rails were also constructed for the gantry cranes (trastainers).
It was also necessary to rearrange the road traffic at the southern end of the rail tracks and to regulate and monitor the special intersections between the rail platforms and the roads, which led to a notable improvement in safety and operational conditions in accessing the container terminal. All affected services were also replaced and restored and the old Zorroza crane was transferred. The works were completed in March 2015 for a total cost of 4.1 million euros.
Breakwater construction for the Port of Valencia’s North Extension
With the aim of strengthening the inter-oceanic container port, on one hand, and handling the increase in cruise traffic, on the other, work was performed to protect the Port of Valencia’s North extension, forming a new outer dock with the mouth facing to the south.
The 250 Ha breakwater will enable the future construction of a cruise terminal and one or more container terminals, ultimately reaching 1.5 million m2 of surface area with capacity for 3.4 million TEUs/year.
The work included the following:
- 3,404 m long breakwater with two alignments, with different sections on slopes, vertical and mixed.
- Breakwater of 1,090 m formed by two alignments, with different sloping sections.
- 22 Ha esplanade for temporary facilities.
- Access to the seawall from the east breakwater.
- Access to the breakwater from the facilities esplanade.
- Installation of sea water catchments for the City of Arts and Sciences.
- Replacement of the drainage system of the Levante Quay.
- Geotechnical and archaeological campaigns.
- 410 m long breakwater on the ends of the future Cruise quay to create an enclosure that houses infill material originating from outside.
- Channels for future service networks.
- Beacons for maritime signalling.
- 8.0 m long bulkhead, parallel to the future terminal quay, which will close off the infill enclosure.
The works, part of several projects, were concluded in October 2012 at a cost of 203.6 million euros.