Association questions APDL about crucial projects

The Viver Matosinhos Association questioned the Administration of the Ports of Douro, Leixões and Viana do Castelo (APDL) about whether the project for the new container terminal was “abandoned” because “the validity of the environmental impact declarations had expired”.

In a letter addressed to APDL on Tuesday, to which Lusa had access this Wednesday, the association founded by the promoter of the Diz Não ao Paredão movement, which contests the works at the Port of Leixões and former candidate for the Matosinhos City Council for the Liberal Initiative, Humberto Silva, also asks for detailed information “about the project submitted for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the reconversion of the North Terminal of the Port of Leixões”.

“ It is essential to understand its relationship with the recreational marina, sailing schools, diving schools and other entities that currently operate in that location”, it notes. The association expresses “deep concern regarding the current status of projects that are crucial to the development and competitiveness of the Port of Leixões, which, as we know, are not exempt from environmental and social impacts and, for this reason, also deserve increased attention and demand in their implementation”.

Regarding the new Container Terminal and the Reconversion of the North Terminal, Humberto Silva says that it is “public knowledge that the increase in the capacity and competitiveness of the Port of Leixões is based on three interdependent projects: the extension of the outer breakwater; the deepening of the rotation basin and access channel; and a new berthing pier to receive larger vessels”. “The first two are already in the final stages, however, regarding the New Container Terminal project — vital for increasing port capacity and for fully justifying the investments already made — nothing concrete is known” , he states.

Regarding the “investment and usefulness of the extension of the Outer Breakwater and Accessibility” , the association says that, “for the first two projects, which primarily aimed at the capacity to accommodate large ships, a cost of approximately 190 million euros is reported”. “However, in the absence of the new terminal or a properly converted and functional northern terminal, this significant investment appears not to fulfill its original purpose”, it warns.

The association acknowledges “that these interventions improve the access and security conditions of the port”, but recalls that “the main stated objective for this investment was to relaunch the competitiveness of the Port of Leixões, specifically with the reception of large ships, around 300 meters in length”. “Without a terminal with adequate operating capacity for these ships, the full usefulness of the works carried out is, at the very least, questionable ”, it says, asking APDL to “pronounce on the amount invested in these infrastructures”.

Specifically, Humberto Silva wants to know “how can such a sum of public money be spent on a project that, as of the date of this letter, has no defined outcome?” When questioned by Lusa on Wednesday, APDL postponed clarification on these issues until an appropriate time.