Project Cargo Summit 2024 opens its doors

The Project Cargo Summit 2024 commenced with a tour of the Haizea production facility at the Port of Bilbao. Situated in the extension of the Port of Bilbao, the facility features direct access to the docking quay, which has a depth of 21 meters.

The Bilbao facility was established to produce and construct large metal structures for offshore wind turbines, such as wind towers, monopile foundations, or primary steel for transition pieces. Since 2018, the facility has produced over 1,000 sections for both onshore and offshore towers for key clients in the industry.

The guided tour was limited to 50 participants and was fully booked weeks before the opening day of the event.

The event continued with an evening reception at the Euskalduna Conference Centre where over 140 industry professionals will gather tomorrow to discuss the current topics in the project cargo and heavy-lift industries.

The morning sessions are already in full swing, and Sergio Altolaguirre, Commercial Director of Offshore Foundations at Haizea Wind, delivered an insight into the state of the offshore wind industry. The presentation was followed up by an overview of the Port of Bilbao’s growth ambitions explained by Andima Ormaetxe, Director, Operations, Commercial, Logistics and Strategy of the Port of Bilbao Authority.

What have we learned so far?

The offshore wind industry is developing at a tremendous pace. The logistics has to work hard to keep pace. The ambitions set out by the governments and the EU are optimistic and major investment is required to deliver on set goals.

“We are already late,” Altolaguirre said, calling for governments local and national to expedite the process.

Ormatexe noted that the Port of Bilbao has positioned itself as an export hub for the region and for the project cargo sector serving the offshore wind industry. This is supported by the fact that its tenants are the likes of Haizea Wind, Siemens Gamesa and Nordex Acciona.

The port is currently addressing one of the main issues many ports face: the lack of space. It is investing in a new terminal which should be ready by the end of 2026.