Latest news with #ÓscarPuente
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Europe and Africa Could Be Linked by Ambitious Underwater Tunnel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Spain has begun investigating the possibility of connecting Europe to Africa via an underwater tunnel to Morocco. On Saturday, the Spanish government allocated €1.6 million (roughly $1.7 million) to a new feasibility study for a tunnel from the Iberian Peninsula to Morocco, the closest crossing between the two continents. The Context The idea of a crossing between Spain and Morocco has existed for decades, as the two countries are the closest Europe and Africa come along the Mediterranean coastline. The underwater tunnel would run 27.7 kilometers (17.2 miles) beneath the Mediterranean Sea. A render of an underwater tunnel, currently being explored to connect Spain to Morocco. A render of an underwater tunnel, currently being explored to connect Spain to Morocco. Morocco World News What To Know The proposed tunnel would span the Strait of Gibraltar, linking southern Spain to northern Morocco, with hopes of boosting the economic and infrastructural integration of both countries, which would then become gateways to new continents. The tunnel, which is sometimes dubbed the Strait of Gibraltar crossing, is being championed by the Spanish Minister of Transport, Minister Óscar Puente, who is leading the initiative through the Spanish Company for Studies on Fixed Communication across the Gibraltar Strait (SECEGSA), the agency responsible for fixed communication studies across the Strait. The feasibility work is being financed through the European Union's Next Generation funds. SECEGSA said that the investigation would determine "the feasibility of excavating the breaches by reviewing the considerations of the 2007 preliminary project regarding the construction method, as well as the flysch formations." The project's costs have not yet been defined, but an estimate of €6 billion ($6.6 billion) to €15 billion (16.6 billion) is reported. For comparison, the Channel Tunnel linking France to the United Kingdom was built for £5 billion in 1994, roughly $15 billion after inflation. The Channel Tunnel, which is 50 kilometers long, was built over a six-year period. The Strait of Gibraltar crossing would be around half the length, though the floor of the Mediterranean may present more building hazards than that of the Channel. In November last year, the Spanish government rented four seismometers for more than €480,000 (about $533,000) so that the Strait of Gibraltar seabed could be accurately mapped for planning processes. The Strait of Gibraltar, as seen from space. The Strait of Gibraltar, as seen from space. Getty Images What People Are Saying The Spanish Ministry of Transport said in a statement: "This permanent link infrastructure across the Strait would constitute an essential link in the Euro-Mediterranean transport network. "The facilitation of passenger, goods and services flows will produce a quantitative and qualitative acceleration of the economy." What Happens Next SECEGSA hopes that the study into the tunnel's feasibility will be completed by June this year, though construction will take much longer to plan and complete. Previous suggestions of completion by 2030 have been rejected.
Morocco World
10-05-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Spain Allocates €1.6 Million for Morocco-Spain Underwater Tunnel Study
Doha – Spain has allocated €1.6 million to study the viability of an underwater tunnel connecting Europe and Africa. As reported by Spanish news outlets, the Spanish Ministry of Transport, led by Óscar Puente, reduced the initial budget from €2.4 million after modifying some planned tasks. The ambitious project would create a submarine tunnel through the Strait of Gibraltar. This strategic connection would link Europe with Africa through one of the world's most important maritime crossings. The Spanish government is using European Next Generation funds to finance the technical support work. Ineco, a public company, will conduct the study to determine financial viability of construction alternatives. Two possible entry points are being considered on the Spanish side. One option is Algeciras with its strategic port and railway connections. The other is the coast near Tarifa, Europe's southernmost city. The tunnel would stretch 38.5 kilometers, with 27.7 kilometers running underwater. It would consist of two railway tunnels beneath the seabed. 'This permanent link infrastructure across the Strait would constitute an essential link in the Euro-Mediterranean transport network,' the Ministry of Transport stated. 'The facilitation of passenger, goods and services flows will produce a quantitative and qualitative acceleration of the economy.' Herrenknecht, the world-leading German company in tunnel development and implementation, is studying construction feasibility. They aim to complete their assessment by June, according to SECEGSA, the Spanish Company for Studies on Fixed Communication across the Gibraltar Strait. This work will complement Ineco's study, which will have physical and financial feasibility reports ready by summer. Their activities include 'the feasibility of excavating the breaches by reviewing the considerations of the 2007 preliminary project regarding the construction method, as well as the flysch formations,' according to SECEGSA. In November, the Iberian government proceeded to rent four seismometers for more than €480,000 to study the seabed of the Strait of Gibraltar. The rental contract with purchase option was awarded to TEKPAM Ingeniería SL, a Madrid-based company specializing in seismology, telecommunications, and solar energy. The project dates back to 1980 when Madrid and Rabat signed an agreement on the Europe-Africa fixed link project. This agreement created two national companies to study project feasibility: SECEGSA for Spain and the National Company for Studies of the Strait of Gibraltar (SNED) for Morocco. Since then, numerous studies have been conducted to 'understand the site's difficulties from a geological, oceanographic, seismic, and meteorological point of view,' as SECEGSA explains on its website. Deep land drilling, geotechnical tests, and experimental galleries in Tarifa and Tangier have been part of this work. In 2014, another deployment of three seismometers was carried out in collaboration with Spanish Navy vessels. Four decades of technical studies and renewed Commitment Several options, including both bridge and tunnel designs, were studied to connect the two shores of the Strait. Some sources suggest the final choice was a tunnel between Punta Paloma and Tangier. The project advanced significantly following the improved bilateral relations between Spain and Morocco. This progress came after President Pedro Sánchez's visit to Rabat in April 2022, which resolved a serious diplomatic crisis. During the High-Level Meeting between Spain and Morocco held in February 2023 in Rabat, then-Transport Minister Raquel Sánchez announced new momentum for the studies of what she described as a 'strategic project' for both countries. The project was reactivated in April of that year with a telematic meeting of the Spanish-Moroccan joint committee. The Ministry of Transport made it clear that these are only studies for now. New agreements between the two countries would be necessary for the tunnel's actual construction. One of the models inspiring the project is the Eurotunnel connecting France and the United Kingdom. That infrastructure, managed by a private company with business participation, is a key technical and financial precedent for the connection between Europe and Africa. Despite the new momentum, the tunnel project still faces numerous obstacles. The Strait's geology, seismic activity, channel depth, and the extremely high cost present enormous technical and financial challenges. The 2030 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco has added more value to the project. However, experts agree it is unlikely to be ready by that time, given the project's complexity and the preliminary stage of studies. Current projections suggest completion could be pushed back to 2040. Read also: Spain-Morocco Undersea Tunnel Carries Hefty €15 Billion Price Tag Tags: Morocco Spain relationsspain Morocco tunnelStrait of Gibraltar
Local Spain
06-05-2025
- Local Spain
Why is copper theft on Spain's railways so common now and who's behind it?
Over the years, there have been many cases of criminals stealing copper cables from train lines in Spain in order to sell for scrap metal. According to data from Spanish rail infrastructure manager Adif, 72 thefts were recorded in Spain in 2022, in 2023 the number climbed to 151, and in the first four months of 2024, 46 thefts had already been recorded. The latest incident was on Sunday May 4th when part of the cable on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line was stolen, causing delays for 18 trains and affecting over 10,000 travellers on Sunday and Monday. Transport Minister Óscar Puente denounced the theft on his X account and called it an "act of serious sabotage'. He later visited the site of the robbery and said that "there are two hypotheses" regarding what happened, "an economic one and one of causing harm", believing that "the most likely hypothesis is a deliberate attempt to cause harm on this tracks" given that the 150 metres of copper stolen are only worth around €1,000. Nevertheless, copper theft can be a fairly lucrative business. Scrap metal from Spain is often transported to London, along with other products used in the production of basic goods, but it is also sold on the black market by criminal organisations. According to Alicia García-Franco, secretary general of the Spanish Federation for Recovery and Recycling, thieves can get between €4 and €6 per kilo. She explained to newspaper EL ESPAÑOL that 'copper from overhead rail lines is a prized commodity because it has a higher purity'. And why is the theft of this metal so damaging to Spain's rail network? Every metre of Spain's high-speed rail line has sensors, track circuits, and electronic systems that provide real-time information on the status of each section of the track, whether it's occupied, whether a switch is positioned correctly or if a train should stop or continue. This data travels through buried cables and many of them are made from copper. When they are stolen, this flow of information is interrupted and the systems enter safety mode, reducing speed or halting trains completely. Last year, Catalan police said that they were searching for Eastern European 'mafia' groups which could be responsible for several copper wire robberies. "These are repeat offenders who have been committing these types of crimes for years because the sentences are so light; in most cases, they are accused of minor offences for which they don't even go to prison," the SAP-Fepol spokesperson stated at the time. These criminal groups can sell copper to China for up to €10,000 per tonne. 'China has a very high demand as a result of its industrial and technological development,' according to García-Franco. The number of copper wire thefts on Catalonia's railway system alone is almost 1,000 since 2010, according to data provided by the Mossos d'Esquadra police force. Catalonia is the region where the most of this type of larceny occurs. According to figures provided by the Ministry of Transport more than 50 percent of the thefts and vandalism in Spain happen in the northeastern region. It's important to note however that these stats include robberies on trains and assaults, as well as copper thefts from tracks. According to a former Adif worker in Barcelona who spoke to EL ESPAÑOL 'These are well-planned operations; the thieves know exactly what they are doing'. While it's a big problem for Catalonia and its regional network, it could be an even greater issue if it happens more often on Renfe's high speed lines, causing more disruption and delays. According to Transport Minister Óscar Puente, "whoever did it knew what they were doing because there were no cameras, and the financial gain is absolutely negligible compared to the enormous damage. I wouldn't call it theft, but rather sabotage". It's not only in Spain where railway copper theft are occurring, as similar criminal acts are in fact delaying thousands of passengers across the continent and causing millions of euros worth of damage to rail infrastructure throughout Europe. It has been seen in Germany, France, Belgium. German operated Deutsche Bahn says it sees around 450 cases of metal theft on its networks per year and French newspaper Le Monde reported that 40,000 SNCF trains were affected by copper wire theft in 2022. Is there anything that can stop this happening? Some of the ways that are used to prevent robberies on the networks include replacing copper with aluminium or fibre optics where possible, burying cables in reinforced manholes or sealed conduits to make them difficult to access, adding more sensors to detect robbers, as well as more video surveillance and drones.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cable thefts leave thousands stranded on Spanish trains
Thousands of people were left trapped on trains or stranded overnight after the theft of copper cables halted high-speed services between Madrid and southern Spain's Andalusia region. Authorities opened an investigation on Monday after Sunday's theft, which Transport Minister Óscar Puente called a "serious act of sabotage". He added that the cable theft took place at five locations, all within a few kilometres of each other on the high-speed line. On Monday morning, Puente said train operations were being "fully restored" . This travel disruption comes a week after Spain and Portugal suffered a blackout, which similarly saw trains comes to a standstill. The cause is still unknown. "All of a sudden in the last two weeks - what is going on?" Kevin, a tourist from the US told Reuters news agency as he waited at Madrid's Atocha station, where thousands were stranded. More than 10,000 passengers were affected between Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia and Granada, and at least 30 trains. The disruption came after a long weekend in Madrid and ahead of the week-long Feria festival in Seville, which sees an influx of travellers to the city. "Operations are now fully restored after a very difficult night for commuters... and staff, who had to respond under extremely complex circumstances," the transport minister said on Monday morning. The theft locations, he said, were in areas accessed via forest trails. Train services were gradually returning to normal, Spain's national rail manager Adif said on Monday afternoon. Earlier in the day, the Spanish interior ministry said the country's civil guard, and police were in contact with Adif and other authorities to "clarify what happened and identify those responsible". The price of copper has soared in recent years, and cable thefts from train and telecommunications networks have surged. How Spain powered back to life from unprecedented national blackout Spain rules out cyber attack - but what could have caused power cut? 'Everything went off': How Spain and Portugal's massive power cut unfolded
BBC News
05-05-2025
- BBC News
Cable thefts leave thousands stranded on Spanish trains
Thousands of people were left trapped on trains or stranded overnight after the theft of copper cables halted high-speed services between Madrid and southern Spain's Andalusia opened an investigation on Monday after Sunday's theft, which Transport Minister Óscar Puente called a "serious act of sabotage". He added that the cable theft took place at five locations, all within a few kilometres of each other on the high-speed line. On Monday morning, Puente said train operations were being "fully restored" .This travel disruption comes a week after Spain and Portugal suffered a blackout, which similarly saw trains comes to a standstill. The cause is still unknown. "All of a sudden in the last two weeks - what is going on?" Kevin, a tourist from the US told Reuters news agency as he waited at Madrid's Atocha station, where thousands were than 10,000 passengers were affected between Madrid, Seville, Malaga, Valencia and Granada, and at least 30 disruption came after a long weekend in Madrid and ahead of the week-long Feria festival in Seville, which sees an influx of travellers to the city."Operations are now fully restored after a very difficult night for commuters... and staff, who had to respond under extremely complex circumstances," the transport minister said on Monday theft locations, he said, were in areas accessed via forest services were gradually returning to normal, Spain's national rail manager Adif said on Monday in the day, the Spanish interior ministry said the country's civil guard, and police were in contact with Adif and other authorities to "clarify what happened and identify those responsible".The price of copper has soared in recent years, and cable thefts from train and telecommunications networks have surged.
