The Port Authority will reorganize the port of Palma: it will relocate cruise ships, industrial activity and freight traffic.

PalmThe Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) presented its "master plan" on Friday to transform the Port of Palma, aiming to change both its appearance and function. The project to renovate nearly 400,000 square meters will cost approximately 200 million euros, and construction is expected to be completed around 2036, according to APB President José Javier Sanz. The Port-City Integration Master Plan for the Port of Palma is based on four fundamental strategic lines. The first is the diversification of cargo and passenger traffic. Therefore, the APB—which handles nearly 18 million tons of cargo and around seven million passengers annually—intends to concentrate these operations primarily on the West Dock, the Ponent Wharf, and the commercial docks, with the goal of "reducing congestion and ensuring improved traffic flow," explained Sanz. On the other hand, the second strategic line focuses on the nautical industrial activity—which generates an annual turnover of €1.1 billion and employs nearly 5,000 people—which will be relocated to the West Dock. A space for vessel repairs will also be provided. Cruise ship activity will be centralized at the Ponent Wharf with the aim of offering a smoother and more enjoyable experience for both tourists and residents. The fourth strategic line of the plan is based on port-city integration through the complete renovation of the port area, "from end to end," as Sanz emphasized. The area will include green spaces, recreational areas, and spaces for social, cultural, and educational activities, which will be located on the commercial wharves, the Old Wharf, and the Mollet Wharf. Along the same lines, Sanz announced that Port Vell will become a "large public space" housing a Dual Vocational Training Center for Nautical and Fishing Studies, given the "current high demand for these professional profiles," he explained. A second building will also be reserved for university degrees.

The project also includes the new municipal sailing school and canoeing, as well as a high-performance sports center. "Infrastructure such as the headquarters of the Balearic Oceanographic Center, the new headquarters of the Balearic Coastal Observing and Forecasting System (SOCIB), a nautical innovation building, the headquarters of the Oceanographic Institute of the Islands (IOB), and an innovation transfer center will be installed at the Commercial Docks and the Old Dock," explained the president of the Port Authority of the Balearic Islands (APB). The Maritime Museum of Mallorca will be built in the area currently occupied by the shipyards – which will be relocated to the West Dock. Regarding heritage, the project includes the restoration of the historic Riba promenade, demolished in 1965, and the relocation, stone by stone, of the Riba lighthouse to its new location at the end of the avenue.

The bidding process for the project begins this Friday with the submission of the tender documents to the State procurement platform and the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU). Five candidates will be selected to develop a preliminary technical and economic project, with the aim of having the final draft completed before the summer of 2026. However, the transformation of the Port of Palma has already begun with the renovation of the seafront promenade, the modernization of the Club de Mar facilities, and the refurbishment of the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) facilities. The drafting of the project for the new Maritime Museum of Mallorca and the redevelopment of Portitxol are also underway.

The APB, concerned about the import of waste from Ibiza

The director of the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB), Toni Ginard, admitted that the entity is "concerned about how it will handle the transport of waste" from Ibiza and Formentera to Mallorca. "We are fighting to see if it can be transported to Alcúdia and, if so, how to do it in a way that minimizes the impact," he emphasized.