Eugene Costello
VALENCIA port has emerged as Spain’s number one port for connectivity and business, says a UN survey of the world’s commercial ports.
And it emerged as number four across the whole of Europe, behind Rotterdam (the Netherlands), Antwerp (Belgium) and Hamburg.
The report, entitled Port liner shipping connectivity index (LSCI), is compiled annually by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and has seen Valencia climb a number of points in the table, dominated by China and elsewhere in Asia in the first 20 places.
In the global list, rankings are based upon ‘connectivity’ and has evaluated more than 900 container ports around the world. The methodology looks at the levels of efficiency in infrastructure installations to facilitate market access for companies delivering by freight.
It looks at how quickly and securely ports handle the onward distribution of freight to market, and underscores the crucial nature of ports and maritime traffic ‘as vectors of wealth and development’.
Within Europe, Valencia comes in ahead of Le Havre in fifth place, Bremerhaven sixth, Barcelona seventh, Algeciras eighth, Piraeus ninth and London Gateway (the Port of London, as was) 10th.
Shanghai in China comes in as number one globally, and the top 10 is dominated by China and other Asian countries, though Rotterdam and Antwerp come in at seventh and eighth.
Valencia has connections with just under 1,000 ports in 168 countries out of 194 in the world. It has 98 regular lines with 35 different shipping companies.
Last year, 225 goods operators, accounting for more than 1,000 tonnes, increased business with the port. Of this business, 51 used shipping companies that specialise in containerised goods.
Valencia port is of crucial importance to the national and regional economies, generating a Gross Added Value of €2.5 billion, or 2.5% of the total for the Valencian Community, and is responsible for 40,000 jobs, says an economic impact stud carried out by the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
