Bilbao (Spain Biscay Basque Country)

Bilbao is a major port (ferry and cargo) and Spain's Biscay Province's capital city, with population around 350,000 (metro around 1,04 million). The city is also part of Spain's Basque Country region and located near the border with France. By population, the city is ranked Spain's 10th-largest, while Greater Bilbao (metropolis) is ranked Spain's 5th-largest.

The Port is at Biscay Bay, while the city's downtown is approx 16 km (10 mi) to the southeast. In 2016, the cruise port reported a 19% increase in ship calls over 2015 (51 calls) and a total of 85071 tourists (21% increase over 2015).

Established in the 14th century as a settlement of ironworkers and mariners, in the following centuries, the town prospered in trading (export of wool and iron goods) including with Spain's American colonies. Following the heavy industrialization in the late-19th-early-20th-centuries, the metropolis became Spain's second-most industrialized (after Barcelona), growing in population and territory via mergers with neighboring municipalities.

Port Bilbao

Port Bilbao (aka Superpuerto, locode ESBIO) is located on Bilbao Abra Bay, along Ria de Bilbao. Port's main facilities are in the municipalities Santurtzi and Zierbena, located approx 15 km (9 mi) to the west.

The seaport complex covers a land area of approx 3 km2 (773 acres / 313 hectares) and water area approx 17 km2 (4186 acres / 1694 hectares). Bilbao Harbor's waterfront has a length of 17 km (11 mi).

As a cargo port, Bilbao is ranked Spain's largest and 4th-busiest (following Algeciras, Barcelona, Valencia). On March 27, 2011, the French shipping company BRITTANY FERRIES started a weekly scheduled service on the route Portsmouth-Bilbao (via Roscoff France) with the Cap Finistere ferry.

For FY2017, Port Bilbao reported a 7% shipping traffic growth (or an increase of 2,2 million tons over FY2016) to a total traffic volume (excluding local shipping and supplies) 34,2 million tons.

The main increases were of liquid bulk cargoes, natural gas (+811,000 tons), gasoil (+470,000 tons), crude oil (+277,000 tons). The main dry cargo increases were scrap iron (+120,000 tons), iron and steel products (+101,000 tons), other minerals (+94,000 tons).

Container shipping traffic in 2017 reached 604,870 TEU-containers, or 1,37% increase over 2016. The growth in reefers (refrigerated containers) was 2%. A total of 5514 units were shipped as "heavy load" or "project cargo" due to their great weight or dimensions. This type of cargo shipping grew by 23% over 2016.

In 2017, the Port's passenger shipping traffic (ferries and cruise ships) traffic decreased by 2 % (to a total of 186,546 passengers). The port handled a total of 123 ferry and 61 cruise ship calls (51 calls in 2016). Cruise tourists are now handled at the new Getxo Terminal (2017-opened maritime station).

The Port mainly serves European Atlantic shipping traffic (market share 41%), followed by North American Atlantic and African Atlantic. By country, the port's main traffic is with the UK (16% growth). Mexico and the USA. Port's turnover in 2017 increased to EUR 68,8 million (+5,47% compared to 65,2M in 2016). Port's net bank debt remained at EUR 139,8M.

The BilbOPS project (OPS stands for Onshore Power Supply) is based on renewable energy sources (wind, solar, wave power) and involves installing 11 connection points on 7 quays. The EUR 47,5 million (~USD 51M) project is expected to be completed in 2025. Of all the money, 30% (EUR 14,2M) was co-funded by the European Commission (through CEF Transport 2021-2027). The investment includes the construction of a photovoltaic plant (for self-consumption purposes), as well as providing alternative bunker fuel services (via partnership with PetroNor E&P/1968-founded Spanish oil and gas company) including hydrogen and LNG. Also will be installed 48x charging stations for electric cars.

Bilbao cruise port

The Port's cruising season runs from early April through early November.

During season 2016, the cruise port handled 51 calls (an increase of 19% over 2015) and a total of 85,071 tourists (21% increase over 2015). Statistics also showed that of all tourists, ~58% were from the UK and ~14% from the USA.

In 2015, the Port's cruising sector estimated impact on the region was ~EUR 7,27 million, also generating EUR 0,81M fiscal return.

On June 29, 2017, the new passenger terminal hosted the "Bilbao Bizkaia Cruise Forum". The event was aimed at a worldwide audience of professionals within the cruise port sector, travel agencies, auxiliary industry, tourism-related institutions, tour guides, managers of hotels, restaurants, museums, shops and all other local businesses that benefit from Port Bilbao's cruise shipping services.

On February 16, 2018, the Port (via the newly formed ITSAS GAS company) conducted its first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering (fueling with liquefied natural gas).

• ITSAS GAS is a joint venture of Port Authority of Bilbao, Basque Energy Entity (Government agency), Remolcadores Ibaizabal and Naviera Murueta (shipowner of Oizmendi).
• The LNG bunker supply vessel Oizmendi (fka Monte Arucas) was previously refitted to enable to hold (together with its conventional fuel tanks) two additional LNG tanks (capacity 300-m3 each), where the gas is stored in a liquid state (at -161 C) reducing its volume 600 times. The ship's reconstruction works took 7+ months, cost EUR 5,5 million and were done at Astillero Murueta shipyard.

In September 2021 started construction works on the LNG bunker terminal. The project is via partnership with Brittany Ferries and Repsol SA (1987-founded Spanish energy and petrochemical company) and is scheduled for completion in 2022-H1 (first half).

• The LNG Terminal serves mainly LNG-powered cruiseferries deployed on the UK-Spain routes (via France).
• The new terminal has storage capacity 1000 m3 (one LNG cryogenic tank that keeps the natural gas in a liquid state at -160 C).
• This project included an investment by Repsol SA of ~EUR 10 million (~USD 11,8M / ~GBP 8,6M).
• A second LNG Terminal (also via Repsol) was constructed in Port Santander.

Both LNG terminals were co-financed by the European Commission through CEF-Connecting Europe Facilities (EU funding programs).

In late July 2022 was announced a project for shore power connectivity at Prot Bilbao, as well as building Onshore Power Supply infrastructure across the entire Port area (14x total connection points) serving ferries, cruise vessels and container carriers. The project (budgeted EUR 14+ million, scheduled for completion/inauguration in 2026) was financed by the European Union with co-funding from the world's largest cruise companies - Carnival UK, RCI-Royal Caribbean, MSC, TUI. Shore-to-ship power allows the berthed vessels to receive city-grid electricity (needed for the onboard hotel service) allowing them to switch off the main engines, thus reducing the in-port noise and air pollution.

In pre-COVID 2019, the cruise port handled 50 ship calls, in 2020 the cruise shipping operations were suspended, and in 2021 it received only 14 calls.

In 2022, the cruise port handled a total of 78 ship calls (including 20 maiden) and 108154 tourists (including 1066 embarked/1022 disembarked, and the remainder were transit passengers).

In 2023, Port Bilbao received a total of 80 cruise ship calls (including 13 maiden) and handled 148791 passengers (41% from the UK, 27% North Americans, 13% Germans).

Bilbao cruise terminal