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Our long products are the solution of choice for Spain’s Port of Huelva

The port of Huelva is the fifth busiest port in Spain, and the 29^th out of approximately 1,200 ports in Europe. ArcelorMittal Europe – Long Products is contributing to its ongoing expansion with the supply of steel sheet piles, rails and sections produced in Luxembourg.

The port of Huelva is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula. The area has been one of Europe’s main gateways for maritime trade since Roman times. Huelva maintains this legacy acting as a major hub of the European trade network, linking to the African and American continents. With the need to cater to growing demands while keeping the port’s high quality of service, the Port Authority of Huelva decided to welcome the future with a 525-metre-long extension of its south quay.

A complete solution developed jointly by ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling, the stakeholders and the decision makers

In April 2017 the Port of Huelva commissioned a feasibility report of design alternatives. This report indicated steel sheet piles as the preferred solution, with key considerations like quality assurance and environmental benefits, as only achievable with steel sheet piles walls.

The remaining, but not insignificant, hurdle to sort was the economics.

In the ensuing 2-year period, the project went from preliminary design to tender award, with Ferrovial Construcción SA winning the bid in May 2019. During this period, the ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling team was hired several times by the designers, contractor and the Port of Huelva for technical advice and solution optimisation. This gave the team a unique understanding of the project, which in turn contributed to aligning project design, execution and end-use towards an economically successful project.

The key advantages of the steel solution to the benefit of the Port of Huelva (present and future):

Advantage		Economy	Environment	Social
Highest installation productivity	Steel sheet piles enable the quickest project completion and commercial exploitation of the investment, resulting in earlier job creation. With reduced construction time comes reduced CO2 emissions.
Reduced dredging	Dredging is not required for the installation of steel sheet piles. Thus, the only dredging required is to satisfy the project requirements for vessel dimensions, resulting in reduced cost, construction time and environmental impact (reduced CO2 emissions and marine habitat disruptions).
Reduced volume of bulk materials transport by road	Operations such as concreting are potential disruptions to the daily port operations. They cause significant wear and tear to road infrastructures, disrupt the traffic in the area and have a high carbon footprint.
High standard of quality control and quality assurance	With production in a highly controlled factory environment, steel sheet piles are ready for use upon arrival to the jobsite. Timeline and cost risks are minimal.
Minimal onsite heavy equipment	Steel sheet piles installation does not require a lot equipment. The jobsite remains clear and clean, is easy to manage and safety hazards are minimised.
Minimal maintenance	Steel sheet pile quay walls are designed to perform maintenance free during their intended lifespan*
End of life value	Steel sheet piles are easy to recover during the decommissioning of the structures. They are a 100% recyclable resource.

* As with all infrastructures, periodic inspections for accidental damages and confirmation of design expectations are recommended.