Barcelona to up capacity

The Port of Barcelona has approved the expansion of Hutchison Ports BEST semi-automated container terminal which will increase capacity by 26%, or 700k teu.

BEST will invest a total of €60 million of which €31m will be used for civil works in order to gain several more blocks of containers. The other €29m million is earmarked for equipment, in particular 14 ASC automated cranes.

Forward thinking

The works will be carried out on the ten hectares of land delivered by the Port of Barcelona to the operator a year ago and will begin before 1 May 2022. 

BEST currently occupies 80 hectares of land on the Prat pier and has 1,500 metres of pier with a depth of 16.5 metres deep.

The terminal has 13 postpanamax super dock cranes, 54 automated cranes (ASC), two cranes at the railway terminal (RMG) and 34 shuttle carriers.

Hutchison Ports Group will incorporate eight new ASC automated cranes to donate service in the first four blocks that will be put into operation at the end of 2023. Later, the plan is to up this to six.

Hutchison Ports BEST is also expanding its green commitment.

It recently signed an agreement with Endesa for the contracting of 100% renewable sources energy, enabling the terminal to reduce CO2 emissions by more than half. 

The terminal is also increasing its number of solar panels and providing 40 connection points for electric cars.