- This was communicated by Joan Calabuig, president of the Port Authority of València, to the Federation of Neighbours of Morvedre at the meeting they held to review the projects and investment plans of Valenciaport in the Port of Sagunto
- Ricardo Fernandez, president of the association stressed after the meeting that “it is necessary to invest in port infrastructures as they are decisive in attracting investment such as that of Volkswagen. An example which explains why the cities which grow the most and generate the most wealth and employment are those which have a port”
València, 8 September 2023 – The president of the Port Authority of València (PAV), Joan Calabuig, and representatives of the Federation of Neighbours of Morvedre have analysed the projects and investment plans that the PAV has in its portfolio or in the execution phase in the Port of Sagunto.
During the meeting held on Thursday at the port’s headquarters in València, the president of Valenciaport confirmed to the neighbourhood representatives that the land part of the jetty at the Port of Sagunto will be accessible from the beach, by means of slopes and embankments designed expressly to make an area more attractive and bring the port closer to the public.
The meeting was attended on behalf of the PAV, in addition to its president Calabuig, by Carmen García, head of Territorial Management and Marta Villalonga, head of the President’s Office. On behalf of the new Morvedre Neighbourhood Federation, its president, Ricardo Fernández; the vice-president, Javier Gómez; and the secretary, Luís Herráiz.
The meeting had a markedly informative character. The neighbourhood representatives were interested in the degree of execution of the projects included in the PAV Investment Plan, the introduction of the railway in the port, the PORLESA plant, the works on the Cantabrian-Mediterranean corridor between Sagunto and Zaragoza, and “any plans that the Port Authority may be designing for the Port of Sagunto; a port that we have seen grow and which we consider to be an engine that generates wealth for Sagunto and the region”, said Ricardo Fernández.
For nearly an hour, PAV officials answered all the questions raised by the neighbourhood spokespersons; and in this regard, the president of the port, Joan Calabuig, detailed that the project for the new pontoon, agreed with the Sagunto City Council, has been pending – since June – obtaining the marine compatibility report, a compulsory procedure given that the works contemplate actions on the seabed. The project contemplates the demolition of this damaged structure from the 1970s and the construction of a new, safe and accessible jetty of up to 240 metres, depending on the budget.
The PAV’s action at the time required the drafting of an emergency demolition contract after the first falls into the water of some of the structure’s boards and the poor condition of the pillars close to land were found to be a danger to people.
Sagunto: rail logistics hub for vehicle traffic
The president of Valenciaport informed the representatives of the neighbourhood federation of the important commitment being made by the port to strengthen Sagunto as a major logistics hub for new vehicle traffic, as shown by the forthcoming construction of a four-storey silo or industrial car park, with a surface area of 50,000 square metres per floor to meet the space needs of the companies operating from the Sagunto docks. “A silo and a project – added the PAV president – which, like other major Port Authority projects in València, Gandia and Sagunto, will also be in line with the port’s environmental commitments, given that in this case, the silo will be crowned by a large photovoltaic plant to provide the operational and energy needs of the installation”.
Joan Calabuig also announced at the meeting that the PAV is awaiting confirmation from ADIF of the conclusion of the construction work on the sidings of the Sagunto-Teruel-Zaragoza railway line; “works – Calabuig affirms – which were promoted by the Valenciaport initiative, and which have involved an investment by the port of 21 million euros. An initiative – he adds – that time and the flow of trains generated – have shown that it was decisive in convincing ADIF of the need to modernise and electrify a fundamental route for the connection of the Mediterranean with the Cantabrian Sea”.
Ricardo Fernandez, president of the Federation of Neighbours Morvedre, has reminded the president of the PAV that the neighbourhood associations also did their part to achieve investments from the Central Administration. “We will always remember the great rally we organised in Valencia. More than 40,000 people from the capital, from Sagunto and the surrounding area, from Teruel and Zaragoza took part in these protest actions”.
“For us – affirms Fernández – investments in infrastructures are fundamental. They must be accompanied by their environmental components, but they are essential. The port has been decisive in attracting investments such as that of Volkswagen. An example which explains perfectly why the cities which grow the most and generate the most wealth and employment are those which have a port”. The neighbourhood and PAV representatives have agreed to keep the channels of information and collaboration open; and in this sense they have agreed to organise a visit to the Port of Sagunto facilities next spring, when the works currently underway are more advanced.