Finally, after almost two years since the original nine different applications were announced, and following the intervention of the Spanish state port authorities, the Balearic Ports Authority have announced, in what has been described as a very tense meeting, that the new concessionaires for Palma’s boat yard will be, Servicios Tecnicos Portuarios SL.
This adjudication, from a final seven other bidding groups, was however no surprise to those closely involved and was predicted by most of the local press as the group of individuals and companies (IP3M and Trapsayates) involved in Servicios Tecnicos Portuarios SL have individually or collectively, won four other Balearic Ports Authority concessions (including Marina Port de Mallorca and Varadero Palma) in the last few years.
The new concession is for thirteen and a half years and involves the exploitation of an extended area of 55,000 square metres, dry and 26,400 square metres of water.
Despite the fact that the former company, Boat Yard Palma had offered a higher annual rental of 2.5 million Euros, Servicios Tecnicos Portuarios SL were awarded the concession with a their bid of 1.9 million annual rental.
The original figures, issued by the port authority, as a guide for the prospective bidders was a maximum concession of fifteen years with a minimum annual rental of 833,000 Euros.
Joan Verger, the president of the port authority, stated that the winner proposed the best project with the best proposals regarding the environment issues and with the highest levels of security.
The new concessionaire has promised to invest 15.6 million Euros (the highest proposed investment of all the bidders) in refurbishing the entire area and all the facilities within it.
Sources have estimated that the concession could be worth more that 14 million Euros per annum in income.
Controversy has followed this much sought-after concession as Joan Verger, the president of the Balearic Ports Authority, was a former shareholder (he sold his 7% shares on becoming president) in IP3M and detractors have been whispering that, yet again favouritism has been involved in this decision, particularly as six administrative council members with a vote on the new boat yard concession decided to abstain for various reasons including “being associated with various groups participating in the bidding”.
For his part, Joan Verger announced that the study of the various bids had been conducted with the utmost rigor and that at no time had there been any pressure and that his former involvement in IP3M had no effect on the result of the concession award.
However, as El Mundo put it in their opinion column, “Everything seems to indicate that the other groups that competed for the concession may appeal where the courts may have the final word”.
A future point of interest will be the concession for the management of the 200 or so moorings in front of the Club Maritimo in Mahon.
This is expected to be announced by the Balearic Port Authority in September with Trapsayates being said to be in the forefront of the bidding.
For this concession Trapsayates have offered 600,000 per annum for fourteen and a half years whilst the Club Maritimo have offered 300,000 for twelve years.
However, following their award of the prestigious, multimillion Euro Palma boat yard concession, sources have opined that, for political reasons, Trapsa may concede to the Club Maritimo.