The Port Authority of the Bay of Algeciras (APBA) has made use of the demolition of the Shed at Pier Juan Carlos I to implement the principles of circular economy outlined in its Green Strategy. The initiative has allowed for the recovery of a total of 272 components from electrical installations, fire prevention systems, lighting elements, and control systems, which will be reused in future port operations and infrastructures.
The demolition of the Shed is part of the Hercules Plan, an investment package of 200 million euros — within the Business Plan of the APBA until 2030, endowed with 580 million — designed to respond to the growth of ro-ro traffic between the two shores of the Strait. The removal of the structure allows for an increase in operational surface at Pier Juan Carlos I, one of the most active areas of the port complex, improving loading and unloading operations and optimizing the logistical flows of the terminal. The work was awarded to the company Demoliciones Dayta.
Before proceeding with the demolition, the APBA applied selective dismantling criteria that allowed for the separation, classification, and conservation of components suitable for reuse. Among the recovered items are electrical panels, electric motors for sliding doors, alarm buttons, detectors, fire extinguishers, emergency lights, interior and exterior lighting systems, industrial skylights of the Sunoptics type, CCTV systems, and service panels. In addition, approximately 2,500 square meters of metal sheet have been recovered.
The reuse of these materials will reduce the consumption of new raw materials and minimize the generation of waste associated with the replacement of equipment and installations in the port area, contributing to a reduction in the carbon footprint resulting from the manufacturing and acquisition of new materials.
In addition to the recovery of already utilized elements and installations, the project considers the possibility of valorizing more than 6,000 tons of stone and concrete materials generated during demolition for their possible reuse in fill for port works. This alternative is pending technical evaluation and the corresponding administrative authorizations from the Junta de Andalucía.
The demolition of the Shed adds to other actions of the Hercules Plan currently underway, including the expansion of the Galera Pier, which is expected to start operations in 2027, and the expansion of the Border Control Post (PCF), a central element of the port that handles 70% of Spain's plant inspections.