Why ePIcenter? - Port of Algeciras

10/09/2021
Algeciras la realidad
Every month we put one of the ePIcenter partners in the spotlight and ask them why they find it important to be part of the ePIcenter project. this month we take a closer look at the Port of Algeciras, Spain.

Algeciras Port Positioning and Evolution

The Port of Algeciras is located at the strategic spot for global maritime of the Strait of Gibraltar and particularly, in the Bay of Algeciras, with excellent natural conditions and advanced port facilities that have allowed to consolidate it among the top EU commercial ports by exceeding the record figure of 100 million tons total throughput.

In fact, The Port of Algeciras, is the 1st Spanish and 4th European port in terms of total cargo and the 6th European port in total container throughput in 2020. Main figures in 2020 are: 107,3 M Tons total traffic, 5,1 M TEUs, 1,5 M passengers (6,1 M passengers in 2019 before Covid-19), 2 M Tons of bunker and 18.322 vessel port calls (29.070 port calls in 2019 before Covid-19), 1.2 million vehicles – more than 370.000 HGVs - that make the Port of Algeciras Bay the maritime bridge between Europe and Africa.

Algeciras location

With more than 110.000 ships/year crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, Algeciras is offering a superior quality of service, reliability, completeness, and connectivity promoting a one-stop-shop port concept for vessel services (bunkering, repairs, ship supplies and others). In such a context, Algeciras Port is the first port in Europe in terms of efficiency as regards to the container port performance index (World Bank Group & HIS Markit, 2020) and one of the TOP10 EU ports according to the Port liner shipping connectivity index (LSCI, elaborated by the UNCTAD in 2020).

Being a hub port into two Core Network Corridors allow us to reach a world direct connectivity with more than 200 ports from 75 countries through 150 regular services operated by 30 shipping lines. Consequently, and thanks to the privileged transit time we can offer to our customers, the export/import traffics are growing steadily. In addition, Algeciras Port is supporting the expansion of one of its container terminals and increasing the quay draft of both container terminals to render service to the biggest vessels on the intercontinental trades, like the HMM Algeciras Class of 24.000 TEU capacity.

Despite the outstanding facts and because of the globalization and global pandemic, technology advances, customer demands for nimbler, reliable and predictable supply chains, new industry trends like just-in-time operations and e-commerce and, last but not least, environmental and sustainable targets,

Algeciras nxt generation port

Algeciras Port is evolving from being a traditional multimodal and transshipment platform to a value-adding transfer point and central link in global logistics chains, providing seamless transport facilities with a strong interface with other modes of transport services. A sustained leadership that is built upon the offer of a wide and competitive range of services, as well as on three strategic axes: competitiveness, sustainability, and innovation.

Algeciras Port Digital Innovation Ambition

Algeciras Port Digital Innovation Strategy is being updated and implemented with the aim to bring into reality the Next Generation Port Concept: intelligent (data-driven and innovation culture), synchromodal (operational excellence and seamless integration within logistic chains) and green (energy transition and carbon neutral) and on strengthening our role of Port Ecosystem Orchestrator, as Port Authority.

In such context, Algeciras Port Authority is planning the upcoming steps which focus on the following key pillars:

  • Building a digital platform for ecosystem orchestration based on the digital control tower concept, that is: information hub, neutral coordinator, centralized node for visibility and a business enabler. A platform of plataforms working together in a coordinated way.
  • In that sense, multiple actions are defined in the digital and innovation roadmap:
    • New Port Community System (Teleport 2.0).
    • An advanced system for analysing and predicting the behaviour of moored/docked vessels under the influence of met ocean and weather conditions on cargo operations productivity (PROAS).
    • An IoT environmental platform for monitoring in real time the quality of air and the impact of port operations on the environment.
    • Algeciras Next Port Operations and Digital Twin with embedded advanced analytics (predictive and prescriptive based on ML/AI) and simulation techniques to optimize cargo flow through its supply chains (supply chain intelligence) and be ready to offer tailor-made services.
Algeciras digital control tower
  • Innovation as a key business process:
    • Fostering the innovation culture within the Port Community and to consolidate an open innovation ecosystem.
    • Algeciras Digital Innovation Labs focused on the application of solutions based on 5G, IoT and AI in the logistics and industrial sector around Algeciras Bay but with global scalability. In such a context, start-ups and talent will find the right place to co-create, test, scale-up and commercialize new products/services and business models in the Port of Algeciras.

Algeciras Port role in ePIcenter

Being in mind the abovementioned context and ambition, the Algeciras Port Authority is glad to participate in the EU Project ePIcenter which is focused on allowing a seamless transport of goods through the implementation of Physical Internet, synchromodal and other disruptive concepts and technologies.

Algeciras la realidad

This is in line with the evolved role and ambition of the Algeciras Port Authority: orchestrating the port-logistics ecosystem by facilitating synchromodal port-logistics operations and reaching the operational excellence creating value through data exchange and collaboration, pillars of the Physical Internet concept.

In addition, the chance of collaborating with other stakeholders involved in the project consortium and testing/validating emerging technologies with the direct involvement of technology providers and different end-users is well-worthy and fully aligned with the open innovation framework that Algeciras Port is consolidating.

To sum up, a great opportunity and framework to cooperate and to better understand the needs and challenges of our customers/users with the aim of providing a higher value to our users, customers, and port community.