Regenerative Smart Fence System at the Cantabrian Coast's Largest Dry Bulk Port

The Port of Gijón (El Musel) is the largest dry bulk port hub on the Cantabrian Sea and one of the largest in Spain, remarkably combining unrivalled industrial capacity with a firm commitment to sustainability and digital innovation. Strategically located on Europe’s Atlantic front, its deep-water infrastructure allows the continuous berthing of large-draught vessels 365 days a year, and it offers excellent direct intermodal connections to the peninsula’s rail and road network, making it one of the largest bulk-cargo ports on the Atlantic arc. Its quays handle close to twenty million tonnes of coal, iron ore, cement and biomass every year, with continuous operations, heavy truck and train traffic, and residential areas on the other side of the port perimeter. In terms of protection and operations, the port has solid security infrastructure which, combined with certification under international maritime security regulations (ISPS), guarantees complete peace of mind for crews and cargo. All of this, seamlessly integrated with the city of Gijón, makes the port an attractive, secure location for shipowners, consignees and global trade operators.

By 2020, the port’s enclosure had become outdated, both in terms of security and integration with its surroundings. Dry bulk operations generate dust and noise pollution, and the port authority wanted to strengthen security while also limiting the side effects of its activity on the environment. A single intervention needed to address three fronts: physical enclosure, early event detection with precise location and identification, and environmental restoration.