NORTH TERMINAL VALENCIA PORT

The project concerns the construction of the necessary infrastructure for an automated and fully electrified container terminal within the northern expansion of the Port of Valencia (Spain). The expansion was previously financed by the EIB (operation no. 2008-0016). The new terminal will increase the port's capacity in response to traffic growth. Designed to handle the world's largest container vessels, the terminal will also feature a dedicated intermodal rail facility. Infrastructure works comprise the construction of a main quay wall approximately 2 km long, around 700 m of ancillary quays, reclamation of 137 hectares of land, deepening of the port basin, and the full dismantling of both the North secondary breakwater and of the cruise terminal existing within the project area. Investments related to terminal paving, buildings, handling and operation equipment, and the rail terminal will be carried out by the future concessionaire and are not part of the project.

The aim is to support the development of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) network by increasing the capacity of a core TEN-T port with rail connection. The Project is expected to improve the efficiency and environmental performance of the maritime supply chain, therefore enhancing the resilience and sustainability of the European transport system.

The Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) procedures for the northern expansion of the Port of Valencia, including the container terminal, were completed on 30 July 2007 with the issuing of the EIA decision (DIA) by the relevant competent authority, the Ministry for Environment, in accordance with the EIA Directive in force at the time. The DIA covers the entire expansion project including dredging, construction works and the subsequent port operations. The validity of the DIA has been extended. The EIB Project is different from the one considered in the DIA, and the changes include among others a different layout of the container terminal. The Promoter assessed the changes against the criteria laid down in the national legislation to determine the need for a simplified environmental impact assessment. It concluded that the Project was expected to have no additional significant impacts on the environment compared to those identified for the initial project in the EIA of 2007 and decided that no new EIA procedures were required. Works on the Project started in Q4 2024. The Project area is located approximately 4 km north of the Natura 2000 sites l'Albufera (SPA), ES0000471 and l'Albufera (SAC), ES0000023. The requirements of the applicable legislation, mainly the EIA Directive 2011/92/EU as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU, the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, the Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC as amended by Directive 2017/845/EU, and the Habitats and Birds Directives (92/43/EEC and 2009/147/EC, respectively), will be checked during the appraisal.

The Bank will require the Promoter to ensure that contracts for implementation of the project have been and will be tendered in accordance with the applicable EU procurement legislation, Directive 2014/25/EU as well as Directive 92/13/EEC as interpreted by the Court of Justice of the EU, with publication of tender notices in the EU Official Journal, as and where required. Procurement notice for the Works contract of the Project was published in the EU Official Journal on 28/12/2023 (reference no. OJ S 250/2023). The contract was awarded to a Spanish-Belgian joint venture comprising the firms Acciona Construcción SA, Jan De Nul NV and Grupo Bertolín SAU (Official Journal reference no. OJ S 194/2024, published on 04/10/2024). Procurement notice for the supervision contract of the Project was published in the EU Official Journal on 22/05/2024 (reference no. OJ S 98/2024). The contract was awarded to a joint venture comprising the Spanish firms CPS Infraestructuras, Movilidad y Medio Ambiente SL and Intercontrol Levante SA (Official Journal reference no. OJ S 243/2024, published on 13/12/2024). The Project will be operated by the Swiss private operator Terminal Investment Limited SARL (TiL) under a concession agreement awarded in 2019 (procurement notice published in the EU Official Journal on 11/12/2018, reference no. OJ S 238/2018).