The finishing touches are being put on the Project Cargo Summit 2024, a gathering of project cargo, heavy-lift and project logistics professionals, taking place in Bilbao on September 17 and 18. A two-day event will tackle the burning issues the industry is grappling with, with professionals sharing knowledge and fostering connections to push the industry forward.

The location selected for this year’s Project Cargo Summit itself is going through a period of transformation and growth. In the first half of this year already, the Port of Bilbao saw its traffic grow 10 per cent versus the first six months of last year. The growth that the port is experiencing is above the average reported by the other Spanish ports.

The port has also seen its breakbulk throughput jump 11 per cent. Before taking the stage on September 18th, Andima Ormaetxe, Director, Operations, Commercial, Logistics and Strategy of the Port of Bilbao Authority tells us that the port has continued to solidify its position as a logistics hub.

“21 per cent of exports of general and conventional cargo from the Port of Bilbao have been wind products, which have grown 3 per cent compared to the first half of 2023,” Ormaetxe said. “The main destination countries are the United Kingdom and Belgium. In this way, the Port of Bilbao is consolidating its position as a European wind hub, supporting the European decarbonisation process.”

Ormaetxe will take the Project Cargo Summit stage on September 18 to delve deeper into Port of Bilbao’s growth ambitions. The port has recently unveiled investment plans in the amount of €700 million. Out of the total amount, 78 per cent is private investment earmarked for fuel plants and synthetic aggregates, renewable hydrogen, recycling of all kinds, biofuels and wind power components.

Likewise, the circular economy is largely dependent on the investments of both the Port Authority itself and private enterprise

Furthermore, the port is heavily investing in green corridors. The port authority has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the ports of Amsterdam and Duisport, together with the Basque Energy Agency (EVE), Petronor and the Dutch organisations SkyNRG, Evos Amsterdam and Zenith Energy Terminals in the field of hydrogen and its distribution along this maritime route. The Port of Bilbao is a key player in this corridor targeted by the European Union, as it meets all the requirements for the development of the production, transport and logistics of green hydrogen and its contribution to decarbonisation, with a view to net zero emissions.

More collaboration opportunities with the Port of Bilbao will be presented during the upcoming Project Cargo Summit. There are only a few spots available so make sure you don’t miss it, book your spot here!