Following objections from Maritime Captaincy, the Port Authority of Las Palmas must update maneuvering studies, review bathymetry and drafts, and submit a revised pilot service report for the Arinaga Port expansion project. The Ministry for Ecological Transition issued this directive after analyzing the preliminary project and submitted objections.
Maritime Captaincy in Las Palmas has indicated that increased traffic, reduced maneuvering area, proximity to the GC-6 aquaculture zone, and strong winds "constitute a significant increase in operational risk." This situation, they warn, raises the probability of accidents involving hydrocarbon or hazardous material spills, potentially causing severe impacts on the marine environment, water quality, and the adjacent aquaculture facility.
In response to these warnings, the Ministry mandates that the environmental impact assessment include a detailed evaluation of interferences with the GC-6 aquaculture facility, featuring realistic maneuvering models and specific protocols. It will also require the establishment of safe navigation corridors with guaranteed minimum distances and the consideration of corrective measures during construction and operation phases.
Additionally, a review and approval of a new Maritime Internal Plan are requested. The project must justify that the new port access complies with the criteria set forth in the Guide for the Design of Channels and Maneuvering and Mooring Areas by the International Association of Maritime Transport, considering channel width, safety margins against wind, current, and human error, speed limits, and risk correction factors.
The scope document emphasizes the importance of analyzing prevailing meteorological conditions, particularly wind, as a critical parameter for determining channel width and necessary safety margins against human error. Furthermore, regarding contamination risk, the identification of accident scenarios, a probability-consequence matrix focused on marine pollution, spill modeling, and the definition of sensitive zones and response times will be required.
The environmental impact study must propose alternatives that avoid affecting fishing protection zones, such as areas with seagrass meadows. The Ministry echoes the report from the Regional Government's Directorate General of Fisheries, which considers these impacts critical to marine communities and severe for the socioeconomic environment.
Alternatives focused on reusing or remodeling existing facilities to prevent new landfilling will be prioritized, aiming for minimal water surface occupation, reduced dredged material, and minimal alteration of currents and sedimentary dynamics. Specific explanations regarding planned actions on the Southeast New Outfall conduit will also be required.
The original preliminary project by the Port Authority proposed a 75,000 m² esplanade at the Agüimes dock, a 150-meter extension, a new 490-meter vertical breakwater, and dredging of 69,000 m² to achieve a 14-meter draft. The environmental impact assessment for the previous expansion project expired in 2019, leading to the commissioning of a new study and the submission of a preliminary project in 2022.
