The Port of Santander ends 2022 with the fourth best traffic result in its history and record passengers.
With almost 6.5 million tons last year and after surpassing the 6 million mark for 5 years, the port considers this figure consolidated and is now focused on reaching 7 million tons.
Passenger traffic reaches its record during 2022 with 260 thousand passengers.
The president of the Port Authority, Francisco Martín, has pointed out that, once the year is closed, "the good data are confirmed and, thanks to the new capacities of the port, a very positive 2023 is foreseen".
Santander 11-01-23. After accounting for 533,726 tons during the month of December, the port of Santander has closed the year with 6,411,574 tons in terms of freight traffic, which places it, in the words of the president of the Port Authority, Francisco Martin, as "the fourth best year in the history of the dock", being only surpassed by 2021, with 6,737,000 tons; 2005, with 6,637,000 and 2019, with 6,557,000. The president of the APS has especially highlighted the passenger data since, with 260,000 passengers, it is the record in the history of the port in this type of traffic.
Martin has explained that the 2022 is a "very positive" result that gives an idea "of the strength and the good work of all the members of the Port Community" since, during this exercise, "we have had to overcome the difficulties arising from global conflicts such as the health and economic crisis, the arrival of Brexit, the news about the increase in freight rates or the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine and, among all, we have done it with note".
The port's top representative has also referred to the "boost to port infrastructures" that has been started during 2022 and will continue throughout 2023 "although during the first quarter of the year we will already start to see the results of these works with the container and ferry terminal in operation and the rest of the works well advanced". Martin has pointed out that, "although combining the works with the normal operation of the port has added a degree of difficulty to the daily work", the "great effort made" will lead to an increase in traffic in the coming years "that will allow us to overcome the barrier of 7 million tons".
Traffic balance
The APS has closed 2022 with a result of 6,411,631 tons, compared to the 6,736,866 tons that were accounted for in what was the best year in the history of the port in terms of freight traffic, 2021, which represents a decrease of 4.8% compared to that year.
Of this figure, 3,407,355 tons correspond to solid bulks, 242,311 to liquid bulks and 2,761,965 to general cargo.
It highlights the increase in passengers, which have increased by 115% from 120,467 in 2021 to 259,448 in 2022, which is the absolute record in the history of the port in this type of traffic. Both automobile traffic has also grown with respect to the previous year, as it was suffering a fall since 2018, and that of liquid bulk. However, there has been a decrease in general cargo and roro traffic.
Among the traffics that have contributed to achieve this result of goods in the port we can highlight mainly:
-In liquid bulks: molasses and oil products.
-In solid bulks: cereals, fertilizers and minerals.
-In general merchandise: machinery and automobiles and their parts.
As for the movement of automobiles, it has gone from 408,210 tons in 2021 to 439,217 tons in 2022, experiencing an increase of 7.6%. On the other hand, Ro-Ro traffic has decreased by 5% with respect to 2021, from 2,430,499 tons to 2,309,793 tons.