PLAZA – Plataforma Logística de Zaragoza

During this week I’ve been for work in Zaragoza and got impressed by the huge Logistica park of the city: PLAZA.

Once back at home I decided to search for some info on the largest logistic park in Europe.

In the year 2000, the Government of the Autonomous Community of Aragón, Spain, made public a project for the development of a large-scale logistics park in the outskirts of the city of Zaragoza. With an area of nearly 13 square kilometers, PLAZA (an acronym for Zaragoza Logistics Platform) is today by far the largest logistics in all of Europe.

The government and industry have invested millions of Euros to develop infrastructure for distribution centers, intermodal transportation, customs clearance, and value added activities alongside areas for commercial, educational, and sports & leisure facilities.

The logistics park is adjacent to a major freeway exchange, the high-speed railway connecting to Madrid and Barcelona, and has direct, secure access to the 24/7 airport, which can accommodate the world’s largest cargo planes. It’s geographical situation is the secret of the project, being the city either in the half way between the three biggest cities in Spain: Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia and therefore two huge ports and an airport. 

Compared to other Logistics parks: GVZ in Germany (340 hectars), french Eurocentre (300 hectars), the italian park if Turin (280 hectars), the CET at Coslada, Madrid (100 hectars) and the ZAL in Barcelona of 67 hectars, is pretty clear that PLAZA with its 12000 hectars is by far the Largest European logistic Park.

Unfortunately after the Expo the crysis arrived in Zaragoza and most of the companies that had already signed a contract with PLAZA saw themselves in need to broken it, and so by stopping the growthing importance of this Logistic area. The only solution to see how this would end is to wait and see what will happen.