Portugal is a NATO member country, and therefore, in the current context, it must commit to and invest in defense.
The port of Sines will build a new quay at the multipurpose terminal (TMS) that will have dual use, both civilian and military, said Pedro do Ó Ramos, president of the Port of Sines Authority.
The president of the port authority added that the preliminary study has already been approved and the execution project should be completed next year, with an investment of around 90 million euros.
“The new quay at the multipurpose terminal will allow for this dual use. We will be prepared to use it if necessary,” he stated, confirming that Sines will thus contribute to Portugal meeting its NATO commitments regarding defense spending.
“Hopefully it won't be for military use, but obviously, we have to be prepared for that,” he said.
Regarding the military function that this new quay may have, Pedro do Ó Ramos said he was unaware. “What we know is that we will move forward with this quay, with this possibility of use, and it will depend a lot on the evolution of the conflicts to understand what kind of use it will be,” he said. “It would be very good if there was this possibility of dual use, but that it wasn't used for this purpose,” he concluded.
The "Ports 5+" plan, the strategy approved by the government in July for national ports until 2035, foresees the consolidation of the dual function, civil and military, for Sines, which is therefore already underway.
Note: Sines is a strategic port and city; investments in Sines exceed €24 billion. It has the "Start Campus" data center with one building, but in total there will be seven buildings. Microsoft invested €8 billion for the production of the AI Gigafactory. In 2027, we also foresee the construction of a desalination plant, whose cost is estimated at €120 million. Rail access will also be reinforced (allowing, for example, the transport of military vehicles to the future military port). There are also Green Hydrogen projects from various companies such as REN, Galp, EDP and H2 Green Valley, which together amount to 2.8 billion euros.
Sources: Jornal de Noticias (portuguese). W Concept (english).
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