Solar powered push towards electrification

The project will see four photovoltaic (PV) plants constructed across Zierbena Dock, the Santurtzi breakwater, the ferry terminal’s pre-boarding area, and the Olatua cruise terminal car park. 

Awarded to a joint venture of Viuda de Sainz, Radimer Servicios Energéticos, Achiles Ingeniería Fotovoltaica and Solar 360 de Repsol y Movistar, the project is expected to take 18 months, followed by a two-year maintenance period.

When completed, the facilities will collectively generate over 4.25 MWp of renewable energy to feed the port’s BilbOPS port shore power system.

The bigger picture

Bilbao’s BilbOPS project, aims to provide onshore power supply to ro-ro, ro-pax, container and cruise terminals, is a cross-cutting and pioneer initiative in Spain, combining power distribution and the production of renewable energy.

It has been designed to include 11 connection points, with a power output of 30 MW.

The first phase, to be completed in early 2026, involves 11 connection points delivering 30 MW, supported by EU Recovery and Resilience Facility funding.

Phase two, running until 2027, is backed by Connecting Europe Facility funds and an €80 million European Investment Bank loan.

From 2027 onwards, all electricity supplied to berthed vessels at Bilbao will come from renewable sources – either purchased or generated within the port, helping position Bilbao as a pioneer in sustainable maritime infrastructure in Spain.