The Port of Tarragona leads the preliminary list of beneficiaries of the Port-Eolmar program with an allocation of 24 million euros in aid from the Institute for the Diversification and Saving of Energy (IDAE). This resolution places the Catalan infrastructure as the main recipient of funds among the six ports selected to develop the logistics of floating offshore wind.
The public economic injection is part of a total investment amounting to 120 million euros. The bulk of the budget, estimated at 80 million, will be allocated to the expansion of the Moll de Balears, while the remaining 40 million correspond to private investment associated with industrial developments in the sector.
The pier expansion doubles its current surface area
The works will radically transform the enclave's operations. The intervention will gain 22 hectares of usable surface area, which means multiplying by five the available space compared to the 4 hectares currently occupied by cruise activity in Moll de Balears.
In addition to territorial extension, technical adaptation is key for the new use. The infrastructure will reach an operational draft of 23.5 meters, a specific depth required for the assembly and maintenance operations of floating offshore wind structures.
"We have been working for a long time to make Tarragona one of the main hubs for the floating offshore wind sector. Obtaining these grants is fundamental to accelerate our strategy" - Santiago J. Castellà, president of Port Tarragona
The execution calendar marks the start of the works for next year. The port authority foresees that all the infrastructure will be fully operational by the end of 2029, a date that coincides with the timeframe of the Port of Tarragona Investment Plan.
Six ports share 212 million in European funds
The Port-Eolmar program, managed by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge with Next Generation EU funding, has distributed 212 million euros among six strategic locations. In addition to Tarragona, the beneficiaries are Castelló, Las Palmas, Gijón, and the joint bid of A Coruña and Ferrol.
The port authorities now have an administrative period to submit allegations or accept the preliminary proposal before the final resolution is issued. In parallel, private operators will promote industrial developments through public tender that will act as a logistics base.
"We offer proximity to future wind farms, we have experience in highly complex operations with large structures, optimal climatic conditions, and a new space, such as the expansion of the Moll de Balears" - Santiago J. Castellà, president of Port Tarragona
The president of the Port of Tarragona highlighted the transversal impact of the measure. According to Castellà, receiving this aid will position Catalonia as a benchmark in the sector thanks to its innovative business fabric and institutional consensus with the Generalitat de Catalunya.
This project mobilizes significant resources within the entity's roadmap. The Port of Tarragona's Investment Plan contemplates a total mobilization of 304 million euros until 2029 to modernize its facilities and adapt them to new energy demands.