Port of Barcelona breaks ground on new vehicle terminal to attract Chinese cars
Japanese shipping company NYK to invest €75 million as port aims to handle over one million cars annually
The Port of Barcelona held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Thursday for a new vehicle terminal that will be managed by Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) through its subsidiary ICO.
The company plans to have the facilities fully operational by the end of 2027 and will invest €75 million to allow the port to target handling more than one million vehicles each year.
According to José Alberto Carbonell, president of the Port of Barcelona, the new terminal will enable the port to move an extra 300,000 vehicles annually, adding to the 716,000 handled last year.
Carbonell said the port must act as "a bridge" between Asia and Europe, with particular emphasis on vehicles coming from China.
"Zero-emission vehicles are no longer an exception but are becoming an increasingly dominant option," he added.
Albert Pallarès, CEO of ICO Spain, also identified Chinese vehicles as a primary target for the new facility.
He also stressed that the terminal will help strengthen Barcelona's position as a key Mediterranean vehicle transport hub.
More than 100,000 m²
The new publicly operated terminal will cover 101,058 m² at Moll Príncep d'Espanya and aims to position the Port of Barcelona as an international automotive hub.
It will be the port's third terminal dedicated to vehicle handling, and the site will also feature a 45-metre-high storage facility capable of holding around 8,000 cars, equipped with one of the "most advanced" distribution systems in the sector.
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