Five companies will manage close to 300 moorings for the Port of Fornells

The project will renew the portuary infrastructure of the Menorcan locality, adapting it to the current necessities and impulsing the place’s nautical activity.

Ports de les Illes Balears (PortsIB), from the Balearic Islands’s Government, formalized yesterday, May 19th, the delivery of the new Port of Fornells’s docks to five contracted companies which, from now on, will manage close to 300 moorings that form this infrastructure.

The event was attended by the Minister of the Sea and Water Cycle, Juan Manuel Lafuente; the Director General of Ports and Maritime Transport, Antoni Mercant; the Manager of PortsIB, Kiko Villalonga, as well as representatives from the concessionary companies.

The companies that will manage the pontoons are: Marina Deportiva Menorca, Urbanización Cala’n Bosch S.L., Inversions Martí Riera S.L., Grup MSC Balears S.L.U., and Club Náutico de Fornells, all of which operate on the island of Menorca. With this awarding, the model of local, high-quality management is maintained.

Minister Juan Manuel Lafuente highlighted the importance of this project for the economic and nautical development of the area: “This is a step forward for the Port of Fornells and for the nautical sector of Menorca as a whole. We are committed to a modern, high-quality, and environmentally respectful management approach, driven by local companies and aligned with the sustainability goals we seek for the ports of the Balearic Islands.”

The awarding of pontoon management follows a public tender process launched at the beginning of the year, which received thirteen bids. After a technical and financial evaluation of the offers, the Evaluation Committee proposed awarding the lots to the five companies with the highest scores. The contracts will last four years and include a commitment to ensuring high-quality services for users, promoting the use of electric, sailing, and traditional boats.

In parallel with this initiative, PortsIB has recently completed a posidonia oceanica restoration project in the Port of Fornells itself. The project successfully restored 2,160 m² of seabed by planting 3,200 rhizome fragments, carried out by the company Tecnoambiente S.L., with scientific support from IMEDEA (CSIC-UIB). This environmental action is part of the comprehensive renovation of the port. With the planting phase completed, a monitoring stage now begins to study the development of the posidonia and assess the environmental outcomes of the intervention.

The Government of the Balearic Islands reaffirms its commitment to promoting orderly, safe, and environmentally respectful port activity, contributing to the sustainability and quality of ports across the Balearic Islands.