The partnership between the company Navarro y Boronad and the port of Gandía has marked one hundred years in operation. That is how long the company has acted as a shipping, forwarding and customs and transport agent.
The company’s development has been closely intertwined with that of the dock, which in the beginning served the growing traffic in citrus fruits. The company was able to adapt to new demands and has consolidated its position in the traffic of paper, wood, fruit, steel and minerals among other commodities.
Weather conditions that guarantee the efficiency of operations, resulting in cost savings, and the company’s size, allowing for direct, personalised service are elements that have made this port an opportunity for so many companies. It has become leader in the shipping of paper and today is responsible for moving large volumes of imported paper, close to half a million tons per year.
Navarro y Boronad has committed to continuous improvement and, much like the Port of Gandía, has adapted its services, facilities and equipment to the new reality. It has always done so on the premise of maintaining its firm commitment to the environment and safety. It has undertaken the implementation of ISO 45001, which specifies the requirements to ensure health and safety in the workplace for port activity, a process in which all the stevedores of the Port of Gandía are involved and participating. This standard allows companies to be proactive in relation to workplace health and safety, minimising the risk of accidents and injury. In 2019, the company obtained ISO 14001 certification, the international standard that allows companies to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection through the management of the environmental risks associated with their activity.
The Port of Gandía has positioned itself similarly in its own parallel mission to find a formula that combines sustainability and economic development. Its size (it is the smallest of the three ports managed by the Port Authority of Valencia) will allow Gandía to become the first PAV port to become self-sufficient in energy, one of the priorities of the port institution, framed within the Europe 2030 target.
In this regard, the port institution will invest in covering the consumption needs of the port of Gandía and the installation and maintenance of the solar photovoltaic panels required to deliver the energy plan. Hangar no. 4, which has a surface area of 5,188 square metres will house the installation of photovoltaic panels.
In addition to this, the port will implement its own energy storage system, making Gandía a sustainable, energy self-sufficient port. It will cover the electricity consumption needs of the dock and, subsequently, conclusions will be defined for the development of new projects.
But the Valencian port’s commitment to sustainability goes further. In August this year, the new south entrance to the port entered into service. This will allow for centre of the Grao de Gandía to be freed up from lorry traffic while reducing air and noise pollution and at the same time promoting cargo traffic, increasing the competitiveness of the port with an exit leading directly onto the motorway.
