Port of Santander expands container terminal, advances OPS project

The Port of Santander in Spain expands the Boluda container terminal and advances its onshore power supply project to boost capacity and clean energy supply.

Following approval by the Port Authority of Santander (APS) Board of Directors last December, work has begun on a 10,422sqm expansion of the Boluda container terminal at the Port of Santander, operated by NSCT Investments. The project is aimed at increasing the terminal’s operational area. The expansion, which adds to the existing 63,595sqm and represents a €2.7m investment by NSCT Investments, will serve as a storage yard to create additional space and accommodate current and projected traffic growth.

According to APS President César Díaz, the expansion will mean “the consolidation of one of the most efficient and competitive logistics platforms in the country in our region.” “Its excellent traffic results, growth forecast, and continued investment in our facilities demonstrate its commitment to the port and to Cantabria,” Díaz said. “At APS, we must ensure, as far as possible, that it can continue to increase its activity. In this way, we can more efficiently meet the needs of our industrial sector, improving the logistics chain for companies.”

In addition to this project, APS is pursuing other investments to support terminal operations. These include the commissioning of a two-track Iberian-gauge (1,668mm) railway siding costing €1.7m, and the extension of container crane rail tracks, enabling the simultaneous operation of two container ships and reducing transit times. This latter upgrade involved an investment of €2.5m.

Díaz also highlighted that “the connection with the Canary Islands by Boluda Lines, together with the positive results of the regular services with Dublin, Liverpool, Tilbury and Rotterdam operated jointly by Boluda Lines and Samskip, make us optimistic about the possibility of continuing to expand the number of regular lines and exceeding 150,000 TEU per year.”

Container traffic

Container traffic at Santander grew sharply in 2024, reaching 149,789 TEU – up 161.1% year-on-year – and moving 1,360,643 tonnes of containerised cargo, an increase of 137.4%. This performance placed Santander 11th among Spanish ports. In the first seven months of 2025, container traffic rose a further 7.4% compared with the same period in 2024, reaching 92,351 TEU and 824,191 tonnes.

Shore power investment

The Port of Santander is also advancing the OPS-Santander project, a joint initiative of APS and Iberdrola to install an onshore power supply (OPS) system with a capacity exceeding 5 MVA. According to Díaz, this “will require a major technical intervention.”

The works will include the construction of a new underground high-voltage line from the authorised connection point to a transformer substation within the port, the installation of a substation on APS land, and the laying of underground low- and medium-voltage lines to connect the main substation with supply points on the docks.

The OPS system will supply clean energy to Ro-Ro vessels, ferries, container ships and cruise ships. The technology will be deployed at four docks, with seven connection points. Díaz said: “With the implementation of this system, we strengthen our port’s role as a key logistics hub, while demonstrating that sustainability is compatible with innovation and growth.”

OPS-Santander project

Díaz described OPS-Santander as “an example of public-private collaboration serving the sustainability and modernisation of port infrastructure.” The project has been selected under the European call CEF-T-2024-AFIFGEN-COSTS, which could subsidise €6,296,085.36 of its €20,986,951.20 budget. The investment will be split between Iberdrola (€13,391,891.00) and APS (€7,595,060.20).

OPS-Santander aligns with the EU’s FuelEU Maritime Regulation, which will require European ports to provide onshore power by 2030 (in ports covered by the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation – AFIR) and by 2035 for all other ports.

In addition, the project will enable Iberdrola to replicate this solution at other Iberian ports, creating a scalable port electrification model and reinforcing Spain’s role in meeting EU climate objectives.

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