Varied fortunes in Q1 for Port of Algeciras

Container throughput reached 691,252 teus, a fall of 13.7% from Q1-2008, although March saw a more positive trend. Containerised traffic shrunk by 24.7%, a more severe return than that for teus as a result of an increase in loading and unloading empties. Ship calls remained comparatively stable at 5,707 vessels.

At the same time bunkering operations at the port continued to increase, with Q1 figures showing 608,963 tonnes of bunkered petroleum products, an increase of 19%, two-thirds of which were to ships at anchor in the Bay of Algeciras, with the remaining third to those berthed at the port’s quays.

The Port of Algeciras Bay Authority has also announced that the finishing touches to a Frontier Inspection Point (FIP) to filter trade between Spain and Morocco are set to be completed this summer. The FIP is to be integrated into the inspection area next to the existing facilities and alongside the US Government-sponsored Container Security Initiative (CSI) and Megaport facilities.