The Galician Federation of Freight Transport (FEGATRAMER) has launched an initiative to challenge in court the well-known and much-discussed nullity of the AP9 concession on the basis of its illegality, as declared by the European Commission more than five years ago.

Galicia is structured around the Atlantic corridor that connects Ferrol, Coruña, Santiago, Pontevedra, Vigo and Portugal, facilitating the movement of people and goods and consolidating a logistics corridor that is essential for the competitiveness of Galicia's productive fabric.

In addition to its role as basic transport infrastructure, the AP-9 is a strategic element for the future development of the region. It is key to attracting investment, boosting tourism and promoting business cooperation, and its continuity towards Portugal makes Galicia a privileged gateway for trade with
the Portuguese market and the European area, thus reinforcing the geostrategic position of the community in the north-west of the peninsula.

Since its construction in 1973, it has been a toll motorway in order to recoup the €1.428 billion invested, with its first concession ending in 1994 with a compensatory extension of 10 years until 2004, but the Administration extended the term for another 25 years and it was sold for around €1 billion to a consortium of companies whose economic objective was to reach €98 million per year to amortise the purchase and the outstanding capital.000 million euros to a consortium of companies whose economic objective was to reach 98 million euros per year to recoup the purchase and the outstanding capital.

These two extensions are contrary to European law, and for this reason, various groups, including FEGATRAMER, have taken legal action to demand that the route be made free of charge.

These claims highlight the illegality of the process due to the profit motive behind the operation and the absence of announcements or tendering procedures. Therefore, we request the immediate cancellation of the tolls and the reimbursement of the amounts paid to the concessionaire, as the contract
would be considered null and void.

It is clear that, from the transport sector's point of view, the AP9 toll road being free of charge will result in lower logistics costs for goods originating in or destined for our region. For a product that is of particular concern to us at Rios Sangiao, namely the transport of fresh milk from farms to factories, it
would be hugely beneficial to be able to pass on the savings to our customers and provide a much more competitive service.

Food logistics faces a constant challenge: ensuring that products reach their destination with the same physical, chemical, and organoleptic properties they had at origin. In the case of transporting liquid foods, this challenge intensifies during the summer months, when outside temperatures easily exceed 38°C and remain so throughout entire days of travel.

At Ríos Sangiao, we have been specializing in this field for decades and have a fleet of high-efficiency isothermal tanker trucks that minimize temperature variations throughout the entire journey.
Thanks to this technology, we ensure that the products transported experience a deviation of less than 3°C, even on journeys of thousands of kilometers and under conditions of intense external heat.

How does the isothermal capacity of a tanker work?

Isothermal tanks are constructed with materials and coatings specifically designed to thermally insulate the interior of the tank. This insulation prevents thermal energy from the outside environment from being
transmitted to the liquid inside, thus maintaining the temperature of the cargo within a controlled range.
In our equipment, this insulation capacity is reinforced by:

• Multi-layer insulation layers that minimize heat transfer.
• Control and monitoring systems that allow temperature stability to be verified during transport

This level of precision is particularly important for sensitive food liquids such as juices, wines, oils, and especially milk and cream, where excessive temperature variation can affect not only the taste or texture, but also food safety.

Advantages of keeping temperature variation below 3°C

Thermal control provides concrete and measurable benefits throughout the entire supply chain:

1. Preservation of organoleptic quality: liquids arrive with the same properties they had when they left their place of origin.
2. Food safety: the proliferation of microorganisms or product degradation due to temperature changes is prevented.
3. Regulatory compliance: we comply with European and national requirements for the transport of food products.
4. Reduction of losses: the product arrives intact, minimizing waste and ensuring end customer satisfaction.

Experience and commitment

The recent period of extreme heat has tested the reliability of our tankers. Once again, the results have been conclusive: our vehicles have maintained thermal stability even under the most demanding
conditions, reinforcing the trust our customers place in us.

At Ríos Sangiao, we understand that it is not just a matter of transporting food liquids, but of doing so under the exact conditions that each product requires. That is why we continuously invest in technological innovation, specialized maintenance, and training for our team.

In short, the isothermal capacity of our tanks represents a key competitive advantage for our customers, especially in times of intense heat. Being able to guarantee a variation of less than 3°C over thousands of kilometers is not only a technical achievement, but also a commitment to food safety
and product quality.

At Ríos Sangiao, we continue to move in the same direction: offering transport solutions that combine experience, technology, and rigor, ensuring that the product reaches its destination in perfect condition.