PortdeTarragona

ChemMed Tarragona has been present, for a second successive year, in the annual edition of the EPCA (European Petrochemical Association), an event of international relevance which is the meeting point par excellence of the chemical industry in Europe, for which the Port Tarragona is partner.

One of the main priorities in the context of this 4th annual meeting of the EPCA, coinciding with the recent presentation of the strategic plan of the cluster, it has been to project internationally the cluster ChemMed Tarragona, its potential and the advantages of investing in the territory.

The President of the Port of Tarragona and Vice president of ChemMed, Josep Andreu, the General Director of the Port of Tarragona and treasurer of ChemMed, Francesc Sánchez, the Commercial and Business Development Director, Genoveva Climent, and Eva Canal, responsible for Institutional Relations of AEQT have led the cluster representation in Berlin, in this important chemistry forum where they have held meetings and networking with chemical companies (production, storage, and transportation).

ChemMed Tarragona values the presence in these days of meetings in which it has been made contacts with different companies and it has been recognized the great interest in intermodal rail and the availability of European gauge, which reinforces the needs to have a real calendar in order to have operational the European gauge for the industry territory.

In these B2B meetings (business to business) it has been also promoted the expansion of the chemical quay of Port de Tarragona in front of the main management terminals companies, infrastructures that allow support such an important activity for the Port as is the movement of chemicals and petrochemicals products. At the same time, it has been given to know the logistic services, specialized infrastructure and new investments in the established meetings with key players of the worldwide chemical industry and companies of logistic field.

All with the aim of promoting contacts with the chemical industry and transport containers companies. The meetings have focused on highlighting the international projection of ChemMed Tarragona, present the service offer and new investments in strategic infrastructures, making known the new intermodal infrastructure and connections and services currently offered by the Port in the logistics railway with its hinterland.

The Chemical Mediterranean Cluster has gathered 25 consultants, of national and international level, in order to present ChemMed and the chemical pole of Tarragona as a good destination for future investments. This event, dedicated to consulting and engineering was motivated by the strategic role that can play this kind of companies seeking new locations for companies of the sector, which is the target audience of ChemMed.

At 9 am the event began in the function room of the Port Authority. There, the presidents of the AEQT and the Port of Tarragona, Jesus Loma-Ossorio and Josep Andreu, welcomed the attendees. Loma-Ossorio has placed the audience, by reviewing the history of this industry in Tarragona, which led to the creation of the Cluster and also explained which potential this project differs from its competitors. For his part, Josep Andreu explained that the aim is to continue with the international projection and recalled that Tarragona is one of the regions of Europe with a forecast of higher growth in the coming years. The president of the Port de Tarragona also highlighted the potential of the industry, logistics and other members of the cluster. Upon completion of this greeting, the CEO of the Port, Francesc Sanchez, was responsible for making the corporate presentation of ChemMed, who has deepened in every detail of this project, which seeks to attract investment in Tarragona. To conclude this first part of the day, consultants and engineers were able to visit the port facilities, from the sea by boat.

The day continued after the visit to the port with a session at the site of Bayer MS in where the cluster was presented as an example of integration of companies. In Bayer the four installed companies in the site; presented their cases. The manager director of Bayer Ms, Jesús Loma was the first to speak. Followed Elix director, David Casteñeda; Bertschi director, Markus Widmer; and the director of Kemira, Lluís Sabaté. Finished the speeches a bus toured the places of MS Bayer Industrial Park, where it has been known in situ the cases explained above.

To end this first consulting and engineering meeting, the expedition traveled to Port Aventura facilities. There, after a snack, four companies of the Tarragona chemical polygon presented their cases to the attendees. This part of the session was opened by the Director of Engineering and Development of Repsol Química in Tarragona, Maria Mas, who presented the industrial complex that Repsol has in the territory and some of the future projects in which they are working on. Followed Emilio Bravo, head of BASF Spanish production in Tarragona, who explained the investment that the sister company will do in the production of food and agriculture in Tarragona . The third speaker was the CEO of Dow Chemical in Tarragona, Kepa Diaz de Mendíbil, who presented how his company is betting in Tarragona, and through investments by step towards specialty products with high added value, and research and development. It closed this session of talks the Director of Clariant in Tarragona, Miguel Muñoz, who presented his ‘business case’ and the latest investments of the company in Tarragona. Some presentations that demonstrated the bet of the companies already established on specialties and the products with high added value. In these four presentations was made patent also the certain of one of the objectives of ChemMed, which is simply to attract investment, whether the new companies such as those that are already established and are still betting on the territory.

This morning, the Shed 1 “Moll de la Costa”, in Port de Tarragona, has been the frame of the inauguration of TankBank 2015, one of the major international events in the petrochemical field and it has chosen Tarragona in order to hold its first meeting in the Mediterranean. Tony Quinn, CEO of TankBank International; Josep Andreu, president of the Port de Tarragona and Francesc Sánchez, general manager of the Port de Tarragona were in charge of welcoming the hundred attendees which are representatives of major companies in the storage industry, management of chemical and petrochemical terminals, European Ports and manufacturers of storage tanks.

In his speech, the president of the Port de Tarragona, and vice president of ChemMed, defended the strategic role that plays this territory on the international map and the possibilities it offers as an investment destination. Before him, the CEO of TankBank, Tony Quinn, has given the starting point for the conference and he wanted to stress the great potential of Tarragona, not only for its strategic location, also for the ability that the territory has in economic and development growth next to the powerful chemical industry and the Port de Tarragona. Moreover, among others, the director of Tepsa Spain, LLuis Sala and the Director of Operations of Repsol refinery in Tarragona, Baltasar, Boix have spoken this morning.

Before ending the morning conference the participants have made a sea tour by port facilities.

The Chemical Cluster of the Mediterranean has put full stop to the first day of TankBank in Tarragona in the Hipòlit sarcophagus room in Tower of Pretorio, which has hosted the presentation of this project that brings together the Chemical Industry, the Port de Tarragona and all the agents surrounding the sector in this territory. Its president, Jesus Loma-Ossorio, presented to the attendees the project in company of the vice president of ChemMed Tarragona, Josep Andreu.

President of AEQT and ChemMed explained that the cluster born just to anticipate the future, placing a value on the potential of Tarragona and to project this brand to the world in search of investments to consolidate the future of this industry in the territory. Loma took the opportunity to travel back in time to explain what role the petrochemical sector has played in the last half century in Tarragona and how now it makes a step forward into the specialties world.

This afternoon session was also attended by the Mayor of Tarragona, who wanted to receive the TankBank attendees in the same “Tower del Pretorio”. In his speech the mayor stressed the importance of the territory as an economic engine, pointing the chemical industry, the Port de Tarragona and other sectors such as knowledge and tourism. Josep Felix Ballesteros has placed the audience in the historic site where they were, recalling that Tarragona is a place not only of past and present also with future.

Tarragona hosts one of the major international events in the petrochemical sector

TankBank 2015 will be held in Tarragona the next 2 and 3 of July in what will be the first meeting in the Mediterranean. Tank bank is an international event held annually with the aim of creating contacts between the attending companies (networking), and where participate the major companies in the storage industry, management of chemical and petrochemical terminals, European ports, storage tanks manufacturers , etc.

TankBank Tarragona 2015 will be a major international event full of presentations and high-level conferences. During this meeting, the participants made an extensive tour to the port facilities in Tarragona, with visits to terminals and petrochemical companies located in the territory which comprising the most important Southern European chemical industrial zone.

The Port de Tarragona has worked in recent months in order to finally this event can take place in Tarragona. The TankBank 2015 will certainly be an excellent platform to make internationally known the potential of the Port de Tarragona, chemical industry and especially of ChemMed Tarragona cluster.

Last year, the Port de Tarragona participated in the event TankBank held in London, where it was announced the efficient logistics services and infrastructure in front of entrepreneurs, logistics operators and responsible of port terminals worldwide.

Spreading the extension of the “Moll de la Química” to new operators

Within the framework of Tank Bank 2015 and with the vision of internationalization, the Port de Tarragona will announce the expansion of the “Moll de la Quimica” to the global chemistry industry leading companies and management of storage of chemical and petrochemical terminals. The aim is to promote commitment to positioning as a petrochemical hub port that has allowed the Port de Tarragona to improve their competitiveness and become more attractive in front of large international operators, which currently do not operate in the Mediterranean. The Moll de la Química put on the market available hectares, while giving competitive to companies that are already installed in the Port de Tarragona providing greater draught.

Another objective pursued by the TankBank event in Tarragona, is to show the potential of the territory (port and chemical industry) and make it an attractive option for foreign investment. The event will provide the opportunity to generate networking.

Undoubtedly, TankBank 2015 also will become an important international platform for ChemMed Tarragona, and to make known the sum of the chemical industry, the Port and all the agents around him. The major infrastructure associated as the pipe rack Dixquimics, regenerated water plant, Chemical Safety Parks, common emissary, the Moll de la quimica or the common service for the operation of marine pollution contingency are some of the examples that have given meaning to the premise that there is strength in numbers.

For registration: http://www.tankbank.com.sg/events/

This afternoon, it has been celebrated the first ChemMed Tarragona Assembly, the Chemical Mediterranean Cluster. The ceremony has carried out at half past four in the Autoritat Portuaria de Tarragona facilities, founding member in the Cluster.

The president of ChemMed Tarragona, Jesús Loma-Ossorio ( AEQT) and the vice president, Josep Andreu ( Port de Tarragona) have been responsible for make the welcomes to attendees of the meeting. Moreover, the two highest responsible of the Cluster have gone over the 2014 agenda, the first ChemMed year of life which was born in May twenty-eighth two thousand fourteen  in an act celebrated in Palau de Fires I Congressos of Tarragona, in the presence of millions of people.

After that, the Cluster’s treasurer , and general manager of the Port de Tarragona, Francesc Sánchez, has gone over the financial statement of 2014, and also has explained the expected budget for this year 2015 which is underway.

Finally, the manager director of ChemMed, Teresa Pallarès, has explained the Cluster action plan that is expected for this year 2015. In this explanation, besides the expected promotion actions, Pallarès has informed partners about the impending publication services catalogue and about the preparation of the strategic process plan which is expected to see the light this coming summer.

This last Tuesday, the Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria, accompanied by the Secretary General of Industry, Begoña Cristeto, visited the facilities of ChemMed Tarragona, the Mediterranean chemical cluster.

The events slated for the visit began at midday at Repsol’s industrial complex in Tarragona, where an official ceremony was held with representatives of public and private entities from across the region.

The event was opened by Repsol’s chemical business director, Juan Carlos Ruiz Dorado, who welcomed the attendees and explained the importance of the Tarragona centre for his company. Ruiz Dorado talked about the need for Europe in general, as well Spain itself, to take a step forward in energy.

After his speech, the new chairman of FEIQUE, Anton Valero, took the stage. Valero, a Tarragona native who was named chair the Spanish Chemical Industry Federation at the beginning of the month, presented the values of a sector that provides solutions to the challenges facing humanity. He placed Tarragona at the epicentre of his discourse, without neglecting the importance of the rest of Spain at any point. The chairman of FEIQUE also focused on the subject of energy, a critical consideration for Tarragona’s cluster and the chemical industry in general. After the first two speeches were given, ChemMed shared its corporate video with the audience, followed by a speech from ChemMed’s president, Jesús Loma-Ossorio.
The leader of both ChemMed and the AEQT explained the potential of the cluster he represents, stating that ChemMed is not a brand seeking content, but rather over 40 years of content that needed a brand to project it to the world. The cluster represents an alliance of regional stakeholders to ensure the future of an industry that is critical to the region. Despite this comprehensive alliance, Loma stressed that the support of regulators is needed in important areas like energy and infrastructure. With this request, the president of ChemMed extended his hand to the Minister with an assurance that working together will lead to growth and, in turn, make Tarragona more attractive as a region and the chemical sector more attractive as an industry for future investment.

At his side, Minister Soria concluded the event by rising to the challenge of the previous speakers. The minister underscored his ministry’s commitment to attracting new investment and to providing access to the chemical industry. The Minister of Industry assured attendees that costs will continue to drop in 2014, and policies were being implemented to strengthen competitiveness. Soria said that the strength of Tarragona’s chemical industry can be seen in its innovation, its sales, its competitiveness and in its talent. He also affirmed that Tarragona provides a model to be followed, an example of combining environmental and economic sustainability.

After the speeches, the event was brought to a close with a ‘family’ picture with the ministerial representatives, the directors of FEIQUE, local stakeholders involved in the cluster and the directors of ChemMed Tarragona, led by president Jesús Loma-Ossorio, and the vice-president and president of the Port of Tarragona, Josep Andreu.

After the official ceremony, the leaders of the chemical industry accompanied the Minister on a visit to the northern and southern industrial parks, as well as to the port facilities in order to gain a clear overall picture of potential of the ChemMed cluster and Tarragona’s chemical sector in general.

This afternoon saw the formal incorporation of ChemMed Tarragona, the industrial, logistics, academic and chemical science cluster. The ceremony took place at the city’s Palau de Congressos conference centre and was attended by the president of the Government of Catalonia, Artur Mas; the general secretary for State infrastructure, Manuel Niño; and the city’s mayor, Josep Fèlix Ballesteros.

The act of incorporation was also witnessed by representatives of the 30 bodies and institutions that make up ChemMed Tarragona, which transmitted their message by means of a video. ‘Today we begin a process that I think is unprecedented, in which all of us involved in the chemical industry commit to raising the value of our assets and offering them internationally to position Tarragona on the global map,’ said the chairman of the Chemical Business Association of Tarragona (AEQT), Jesús Loma-Ossorio, who also referred to the need for chemistry to adapt, for science and industry to contribute solutions for overcoming the significant challenges facing our planet.

‘With the cluster we aim to advance and to convert our strengths into opportunities. We have analysed the potential that exists in the area of Tarragona and we have compared it with the challenges that European industry will have to respond to in the future. It is important to specialise in a chemical industry with a high added value, great diversification and a high degree of innovation, both in its processes and in its products,’ he stated. ‘In Tarragona we have all of the necessary components to take on future challenges in the sector. An industry at the service of the economic progress of our region.’

The president of the Port of Tarragona, Josep Andreu, highlighted the significance of the event for the port and publicly thanked Minister of Development Ana Pastor, who was not able to attend for personal reasons, for ‘the support she has always given the Port of Tarragona, our investments, our projects, and it is especially important to point out her full and total support of the Tercer Fil project, a strategic and fundamental project for the future of our port.’ ‘Our goal is to promote the chemical industry, as well as research and development, with the support of the transport network,’ the General Secretary of State Infrastructure, Manuel Niño, emphasised.

Niño also pointed out that the chemical sector has made a surprising comeback, achieving pre-economic crisis figures, and mentioned the Ministry of Development’s commitment to the Mediterranean Corridor to increase competitiveness which, in turn, will lead to the development of logistics and better access to Mediterranean ports. ‘The Ministry of Development, through Adif Alt Velocidad, has approved today, Friday, investments for the development of the Mediterranean Corridor.’

The president of the Government of Catalonia, Artur Mas, who, like the other speakers, gave his speech in Catalan, Spanish and English, the three official languages of ChemMed Tarragona, spoke about the commitment to the future that the industry represents for Catalonia and mentioned the industry’s ability to share the stage with other economic sectors, especially in the area of Tarragona. ‘We are dedicated to making Catalonia a business-friendly country,’ Mas emphasised, ‘to reducing bureaucracy, to simplifying processes. We are committed to making Catalonia a good place for investment.’

About ChemMed Tarragona

ChemMed Tarragona is a project promoted by the Chemical Business Association of Tarragona (AEQT) and the Port of Tarragona for the purpose of internationally projecting the attractiveness and competitiveness of the region for industry, teaching, research, logistics and chemistry.

ChemMed Tarragona enjoys the support of:

– Institutions: The Government of Spain, the Government of Catalonia, the provincial government and the city and town councils of Alcover, Constantí, El Morell, Flix, La Canonja, La Pobla de Mafumet, Perafort, Reus, Salou, Tarragona, Tortosa, Valls and Vila-seca

– Service companies (AEST)

– Education, talent, research and innovation centres: Universitat Rovira i Virgili, ICIQ, CTQ, and the secondary schools of Comte de Rius, Pere Martell and Vidal i Barraquer

– The business sector through the chambers of commerce of Tarragona, Reus, Valls and Tortosa

– Trade unions, Comissions Obreres and the UGT

El próximo 28 de marzo, a las 16h, el Palacio de Congresos de Tarragona será escenario del Acto Oficial de Constitución de ChemMed Tarragona – Clúster Químico del Mediterráneo. Un proyecto impulsado por la Asociación Empresarial Química de Tarragona (AEQT) y Port de Tarragona con el objetivo de proyectar en el ámbito internacional el atractivo y la competitividad del territorio para la industria, la investigación y la logística de la Química.

El acto contará con la presencia del presidente de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Artur Mas; la ministra de Fomento, Ana Pastor; y el alcalde de la ciudad, Josep Fèlix Ballesteros.
El presidente de la AEQT, Jesús Loma-Ossorio; y el presidente de Port de Tarragona, Josep Andreu, firmarán el acta de constitución de ChemMed Tarragona como Clúster Químico del Mediterráneo.

ChemMed Tarragona es un clúster industrial, logístico, académico y científico de la química ubicado en el territorio que aglutina los agentes, empresas, centros de formación e investigación, universidad y administraciones del territorio con la finalidad de atraer y generar nuevas inversiones que favorezcan la industrialización alrededor del clúster, así como consolidar el tejido de las infraestructuras, instalaciones productivas y portuarias, industrias auxiliares, centros de investigación y nivel de formación.

Tarragona es el primer polo químico del Estado español y del Arco Mediterráneo. Produce 20 millones de toneladas de diversos productos, esencialmente combustibles y materias plásticas. Port de Tarragona mueve anualmente 19 millones de toneladas de productos petroquímicos y asegura la importación y exportación de las primeras materias necesarias para los procesos de producción de sector químico, así como los productos que de ello se derivan.

Entidades y organismos adheridos a ChemMed Tarragona
AEST, Asociación de Empresas de Servicios de Tarragona; los sindicatos FITAG-UGT y CCOO, la Universidad Rovira i Virgili (URV), el Centro Tecnológico de la Química (CTQ), el Institut Català d’Investigació Química (ICIQ), los centros de formación profesional Comte de Rius, Pere Martell y Vidal i Barraquer; las Cámaras de Comercio de Reus, Tarragona, Tortosa y Valls, en una integración única que abarca los ámbitos de producción, logística, formación, investigación y comercio y que cuenta asimismo con el apoyo de todas las Administraciones: Gobierno de España, Generalitat de Cataluña, Diputación de Tarragona y los Ayuntamientos de: Alcover, Constantí, El Morell, Flix, La Canonja, La Pobla de Mafumet, Perafort, Reus, Salou, Tarragona, Tortosa, Valls y Vila-seca.

Antecedentes
En julio de 2010 se firmó el Pacto por el Desarrollo (Pacte pel Desenvolupament), un compromiso abierto a todos los agentes que configuran la realidad del clúster petroquímico de Tarragona y que quiere ir más allá del ámbito estricto de las industrias y conformarse como un compromiso con toda la sociedad. En noviembre de 2011 se subscribió el Memorándum del Año Internacional de la Química, punto de partida del proceso, que se desarrolló con el liderazgo conjunto de la AEQT y Port de Tarragona en febrero de 2012.