Agreement with the Generalitat for the improvement of air quality

23-06-2021. The Board of Directors of the Castellón Port Authority today approved the voluntary agreement of PortCastelló with the Generalitat Valenciana for the improvement of air quality. This is the first agreement of this type to be signed with a Port Authority in Spain, and represents a commitment between both administrations to achieve the objectives of reducing atmospheric pollution and establishes the necessary mechanisms to not exceed the limits of emissions of particles to the legally established air.

To this end, the port of Castellón has installed five air pollution control stations and sensors that have been integrated into the Valencian Network for Atmospheric Pollution Surveillance and Control to assess the risk in the port and its perimeter in real time. In addition, it has developed a Code of Good Practices for the loading and unloading of powdery materials.

This agreement is part of the 2030 Agenda strategy and the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Council has also approved an agreement between the Port Authority with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Agriculture, Environment, Climate Change and Rural Development of the Generalitat Valenciana by which the building of the lighthouse of the Islands is transferred Columbretes for use in monitoring the maritime-terrestrial space of the islands, for the dissemination of marine reserves, and for the development of scientific activities.

In addition, the Board of Directors of the Castellón Port Authority has unanimously approved the 2020 annual accounts that include the following figures:

Revenues amounted to 28.8 million, 11.7% less than in 2019, due to the loss of traffic due to the pandemic. Operating expenses grew only 0.29%, reaching 19.7 million, despite the fact that the Port Authority has had to face the cost of measures to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.

The financial result amounts to -2.3 million while in 2019 it exceeded three million in negative. Therefore, the result improves by 22.8%. PortCastelló closes 2020 with good financial strength indicators: EBITDA amounts to 16.3 million, Cash-Flow to 17.2 million and working capital to 60.1 million

The Board of Directors has also approved the appointment of José María Gómez as general manager of PortCastelló to replace Ana Ulloa, who resigns at her own request.

   Other agreements reached:

-Administrative concession to Iberdrola Generación Térmica for the occupation of a surface for the intake and discharge of cooling water from groups 3 and 4 of the Castellón thermal power plant in the port’s service area.

-Administrative concession to Metallomechanical Systems for the occupation of a surface corresponding to a warehouse with an attached patio located in the northern service area of ​​the port of Castellón.

-Administrative concession to Automatic Facilities and Services for the occupation of a surface corresponding to the monopost sign located in the port service area.

-Declaration of desert of the contest for the occupation and exploitation of the premises 8 Type I located in the Plaza del Mar in regime of administrative concession.

-Formalization of a confirming operation with the financial entity Cajamar Caja Rural, Credit Cooperative Society for an amount of 4 million euros.