Thursday, August 21, 2025 - 10:48 by ce-press
Bilbao’s onshore power supply (OPS) remains on track for delivery in 2027.
Part of the overall project is a platform to produce and maintain renewable energy systems to power the OPS system in the port itself, such as an array of photo voltaic (solar panel) plants. This €11.5 million contract is a joint venture awarded to four companies which are experienced in the field.
OPS will not only be available to cruiseships, but ferries and container vessels too, with 11 connection points being installed around the port. The cost of the overall project is around €58 million.
Looking at those Cruise Europe ports that have onshore power, Bilbao represents another option for ships turning around in Southampton or Portsmouth, both of which have OPS, with the recent addition in Le Havre a possibility en route to Bilbao.
In a separate move, the Bilbao Port Authority has extended a 30-year agreement with the University of the Basque Country to monitor the effects of port activity on the biological communities in and around the port for another four years.
Two divisions at the university, the Department of Plant Biology and Ecology and the Department of Zoology and Animal Cell Biology, work with the port to provide technical assistance in carrying out the port’s bio monitoring plan and to help ensure the protection of the aquatic systems in and around the port.
As part of this activity, the development of flora and fauna communities is closely monitored in the harbour area, together with any trends from analyses of changes in composition and relative abundance of species. In addition, the physical and chemical characteristics of the water column are characterised by measuring parameters such as light extinction coefficient, salinity, water clarity, suspended solids and organic and inorganic matter.
A new feature of the extension agreement is the inclusion of the study of phytoplankton with a view to understanding the structure and dynamics of phytoplankton and identifying any presence of any potentially harmful and/or toxic species.
Overall, there are 21 monitoring stations in and around the port, including close to the cruise terminal. Overall, the results of the bio monitoring plan indicate that in recent years there has been a positive trend in the maturity of biological communities, and that port activity and expansion works have not had a widespread negative impact on their growth.
Bilbao expects to welcome over 150,000 passengers in 2025. In other news, it has also been announced that Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames Stadium will be a host venue for the 2030 FIFA World Cup commencing June 8, and the port expects significant interest for cruiseship bookings especially for the occasion.
