Port of Barcelona Breaks Ground on €30 Million Flagship Coffee Terminal
December 24 - 2025
Coffee Geography Magazine
The Port of Barcelona has unveiled plans for what will become the most advanced green coffee terminal in southern Europe. The project, spearheaded by Barcelona International Terminal, S.A. (BIT)—a joint venture between SGS and Masiques—represents a major strategic investment in specialized port infrastructure.
The development is backed by a total investment of €30 million, with funding secured through a collaborative institutional effort. The Barcelona Free Zone Consortium will contribute €20 million, while the Port of Barcelona will provide €10 million to facilitate the relocation of BIT's current operations. This funding supports the expansion required by Elian, the company operating the terminal within the port, to meet growing demand.
The new facility will rise on a 53,380-square-meter plot in section VI of the Ronda del Port, under a 50-year management concession granted to the Barcelona Free Zone Consortium. Its design includes two large warehouses linked by a canopy, dedicated office space, and comprehensive truck loading and unloading zones, culminating in a total built area of 27,476.79 square meters.
A key feature of the terminal will be its commitment to sustainability and quality preservation. The facilities will integrate solar thermal and photovoltaic energy systems and employ precise climate control technology to maintain constant temperature and humidity. This ensures optimal storage conditions for green coffee beans throughout the logistics chain. The entire design is tailored specifically for coffee storage and handling, adhering to the highest standards of quality and operational efficiency while providing capacity for future traffic growth.
The 36-month project was announced at a ceremony attended by Port of Barcelona president José Alberto Carbonell; Pere Navarro, the Spanish Government's special delegate to the Barcelona Free Zone Consortium; José Miguel Masiques, CEO of Masiques; and BIT manager Marc Tauste.
President Carbonell emphasized the terminal's leading role, stating, "BIT is the leading green coffee terminal in southern Europe, and the new project will allow it to maintain this leading role. This project is also an exercise in institutional co-operation." He highlighted the coordinated work with the Consortium and private partners to organize the port area for competitive growth.
Pere Navarro framed the initiative as a forward-looking model of public-private partnership. "This is a forward-looking project that clearly shows how a desire to achieve objectives, alongside co-ordinated work, yields very positive results," he said. "This action reiterates CZFB’s commitment to sustainable reindustrialisation and the generation of economic value and employment."
The announcement follows closely on the Port of Barcelona's recent approval of its Energy Transition Plan, which sets ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% by 2040 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The new coffee terminal's sustainable design aligns directly with this broader strategic commitment to an eco-efficient port model.