Spain’s Vigo port records increase in vehicle throughput including trade out of Morocco

The Spanish port of Vigo recorded a marginal 0.4% rise in finished vehicle handling in CY2024 to just more than 657,000 units, with Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis the top three vehicle makers by volume using the port. Notably, the port has seen an uptick in vehicle trade with Morocco, up 36% in 2024 to more than 32,700 CEUs.

Those volumes are processed by the two vehicle terminal operators at Vigo port: Termicar and Lineas Marítimas Españolas (part of Suardíaz). 

The port is looking at a growth in vehicle handling of between 1-2% in 2025. In March Carlos Botana, president of Vigo port authority said vehicle traffic had declined in recent months because of a succession of storms and the breakdown of some ships, but he said those numbers will gradually recover to balance results and put Vigo up with Barcelona in terms of highest finished vehicle traffic. Barcelona processed just over 682,000 in CY2024.

There was also a rise in containerised vehicle shipments to Vigo last year because of the recovery in shipments from Algeria. The number of containers carrying finished vehicles rose 58.9% to 116 TEUs, according to Vigo port’s spokesperson. “This is exclusively export traffic of Stellantis Group vehicles through the Vigo container terminal (Termavi). The increase is due to the resumption of trade relations with Algeria after several years of political conflict,” said the spokesperson.

Sustainable OPS 
Back in May 2024 the Vigo port authority presented a roadmap on potential energy sources and the prototypes needed to facilitate the energy transition for maritime fleets to the EU Energy Transition Partnership (DG Mare).

The Port of Vigo Authority is working with Spanish renewable energy company Iberdrola to build an onshore power supply (OPS) for berthed vessels that will draw on renewable sources, thereby reducing levels of air and noise pollution. A spokesperson for the port authority said the system allows vessels to connect to the onshore electric grid during their time in port. The vessel’s engines can be switched off while power supply for auxiliary systems such as transfer pumps, refrigeration systems, lighting and emergency equipment is delivered from onshore.

“The installation of an OPS charging point (otherwise known as cold ironing) will locally eliminate greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and improve air quality around the port,” said the spokesperson.

Furthermore, as previously reported, the Naturgy biomethane production plant is located in Vigo and United European Car Carriers (UECC) is currently taking all of the bioLNG the plant makes to fuel its sustainable fleet of dual-fuel LNG vessels. UECC connects the port of Vigo with 22 other European ports.

According to the Vigo port authority this marine fuel enables a 21% reduction in GHG emissions compared to conventional marine fuels, as well as emissions of other pollutants such as sulphur and nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

Read more about vehicle processing at European ports in our annual review of CY2024