Year to date · January–August 2026
5.03 million tonnes
August 2026 only
798,160 tonnes
Full year 2025
9.26 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
1.4%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 5.03 million tonnes of coal and petroleum coke in the year to August 2026, 15.6% less than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 798,160 tonnes, 32.3% more than in August 2025.
By type of cargo, 95% travelled as dry bulk and 5% as general cargo. The item accounts for 1.4% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in coal and petroleum coke came to 9.26 million tonnes, 9.9% less than in 2024: 5.17 million tonnes unloaded and 4.09 million tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 97.4% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 26 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Gijón ranks first among port authorities with 3.48 million tonnes in 2025 (17.6% less than in 2024). It is followed by Cartagena (1.31 million) and Tarragona (925,434 tonnes). Together, the three account for 61.7% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Tarragona (+23.9%), Avilés (+12.3%) and Huelva (+11.6%); the steepest falls by Ferrol-San Cibrao (−51.8%), Santander (−18.0%) and Gijón (−17.6%). The comparison is limited to port authorities that account for at least 1% of the total, so that an extreme swing at a small player does not distort the picture.
The rest of the top ten are Avilés (4th, 729,034 tonnes, +12.3%), Castellón (5th, 683,560 tonnes, +0.4%), Bilbao (6th, 613,829 tonnes, −11.7%), A Coruña (7th, 484,096 tonnes, −6.2%), Huelva (8th, 337,053 tonnes, +11.6%), Santander (9th, 220,923 tonnes, −18.0%) and Ferrol-San Cibrao (10th, 156,201 tonnes, −51.8%).
At the bottom of the table are Melilla (205 tonnes), Bahía de Cádiz (174 tonnes) and Ceuta (48 tonnes), out of a total of 26 port authorities with data.
The distribution is highly concentrated: the top five account for 77% of the total and 6 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 16 port authorities further down share the remaining 3.4%. 13 of the 26 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 10 of them by double digits, and 13 fell.
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 3 are above the same month of 2025 and 5 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is down 7.7% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in June (down 49.1%); the highest point in the series was January, at 901,140, and the lowest March, at 487,272.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 24.2 M to 9.26 M, a decrease of 61.8% over 14 years (−6.6% a year on average). The best year was 2012 (31.4 M) and the worst 2025 (9.26 M).
Top 10 · Coal and petroleum coke by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · coal and petroleum coke
Full table · 26 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gijón | 3.48 M | −17.6% | 3.01 M | 37.6% | Port |
| 2 | Cartagena | 1.31 M | −14.2% | 80,715 | 14.2% | Port |
| 3 | Tarragona | 925,434 | +23.9% | 666,670 | 10.0% | Port |
| 4 | Avilés | 729,034 | +12.3% | 483,720 | 7.9% | Port |
| 5 | Castellón | 683,560 | +0.4% | 135,652 | 7.4% | Port |
| 6 | Bilbao | 613,829 | −11.7% | 125,087 | 6.6% | Port |
| 7 | A Coruña | 484,096 | −6.2% | 38,595 | 5.2% | Port |
| 8 | Huelva | 337,053 | +11.6% | 223,119 | 3.6% | Port |
| 9 | Santander | 220,923 | −18.0% | 213,304 | 2.4% | Port |
| 10 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 156,201 | −51.8% | 75 | 1.7% | Port |
| 11 | Bahía de Algeciras | 124,022 | −0.8% | 61,989 | 1.3% | Port |
| 12 | Valencia | 54,915 | +8.6% | 34,776 | 0.6% | Port |
| 13 | Barcelona | 48,161 | −14.3% | 35,322 | 0.5% | Port |
| 14 | Las Palmas | 45,988 | +69.3% | 30,504 | 0.5% | Port |
| 15 | Vigo | 18,026 | +114.7% | 7,825 | 0.2% | Port |
| 16 | Almería | 6,018 | −46.9% | 5,988 | 0.1% | Port |
| 17 | Vilagarcía | 5,805 | +184.0% | 5,757 | 0.1% | Port |
| 18 | Málaga | 4,472 | +32.7% | 2,213 | 0.0% | Port |
| 19 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 4,229 | +34.7% | 3,017 | 0.0% | Port |
| 20 | Motril | 3,197 | −84.9% | 3,197 | 0.0% | Port |
| 21 | Sevilla | 958 | +67.2% | 158 | 0.0% | Port |
| 22 | Alicante | 957 | +40.1% | 142 | 0.0% | Port |
| 23 | Baleares | 930 | −96.6% | 930 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Melilla | 205 | +8.5% | 205 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Bahía de Cádiz | 174 | −70.9% | 77 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Ceuta | 48 | −63.1% | 24 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
This item groups thermal and coking coal with petroleum coke, dry bulk unloaded with cranes and conveyor belts. Puertos del Estado publishes every month the tonnes of this commodity loaded, unloaded or in transit across all ports of general interest, as a cumulative figure since January, and once a year the breakdown by port authority. Figures for the current year are provisional until the yearbook is published.
Context
The closure of coal-fired power stations reduced this traffic at the ports that supplied them, such as Gijón, A Coruña, Ferrol, Tarragona and Almería. What remains goes mainly to steelmaking, cement plants and other industrial uses.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of coal and petroleum coke have Spanish ports handled this year?
5.03 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 15.6% less than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most coal and petroleum coke?
Gijón, with 3.48 million tonnes in 2025, 37.6% of the total.
How is this commodity carried: in bulk or as general cargo?
By type of cargo, 95% travelled as dry bulk and 5% as general cargo in the year to August 2026.
When is this data updated?
Puertos del Estado publishes the data every month. Latest data available: August 2026.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · cargo by commodity, annual series or see the original source.