Stellantis no longer knows where to put its cars. The collapse affecting the export of vehicles by sea has forced the Vigo plant to set up temporary warehouses in O Cerquido and Salvaterra, to use the Plisan, and even to consider port spaces not intended for this use, such as the cruise terminal which would mean a return to its origins, since the first models were shipped there after its establishment in Vigo in 1958 or the old Campsa land in Guixar, the latter owned by the Free Trade Zone. The congestion keeps the Ro-Ro terminal in Bouzas and the Porriño yard full, and the problem is far from being solved due to the lack of truck drivers in Europe, according to Faro del Vigo, from the Prensa Ibérica group. Another avenue that the factory wants to explore is the plot acquired by the Consortium in Porriño for the future automobile logistics platform, a project that has been delayed to adapt it to the new reality of the sector.

The origin of the export collapse

The origin of the export collapse, like the shortage of semiconductors, lies in the pandemic (due to the paralysis of car production) and in the lack of manpower in the logistics sector, especially the shortage of truck drivers. In Europe last year, there were 425,000 unfilled driver positions, 10% of the total, and this year that percentage could rise to 14%. This tension in the export and logistics chain is transmitted to the ports, to the shipping companies and, finally, to the vehicle factories, and sector analysts believe that these difficulties will take months to overcome. It is not a cyclical problem, but a structural problem for the sector.

In Vigo the situation has hardly improved in the last two months. Bouzas and Porriño’s storage areas are full and this week’s sea storm does not help. To alleviate this lack of space, Stellantis has made use of Plisan and two warehouses created specifically in O Cerquido (next to an old brick factory) and Salvaterra (next to the dry port). In addition, it has requested permission to use the plot that in the future will host the logistics platform project of the engine in Porriño and explored port spaces such as the esplanade of cruise ships, between the terminal and the ships of Casa Pepe, and the land of the former CLH in Guixar.

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