Román said the projection was based on the minimum forecast for the volume of cargo. The 178,000 square-meter cargo terminal will have a 350,000 TEU (20ft equivalent) container handling capacity.

Source: laprensagrafica.com

More on this topic

El Salvador's Sea Cargo Market

December 2009

Salvadoran ports will handle 150.000 containers in 2010, and 210.000 in 2015.

These figures come from a study conducted by Japanese experts on the country's port potential. The first part of this study has already been delivered to the CEPA, the Salvadoran ports authority.

Shipping Companies Consider Unfeasible Opening La Unión Port

October 2009

They criticize the government's intention of operating the port with minimal equipment and under administration of CEPA, the state port authority.

Shipping companies remark that in order to make them leave Acajutla Port, the new port at La Unión must offer better fees and more efficient loading and unloading of containers.

Mixed concession being evaluated for Salvadoran ports

September 2008

The Government is evaluating a public-private design for the operation of the country's port system.

"What is clear is that there must be a concession, although at the moment a master concession is not supported," Ana Vilma de Escobar, vice-president of the Republic, admitted. She has been in charge of promoting the concession of the La Union port and the Acajutla port to international companies.

Port concession in El Salvador unresolved

August 2008

The project presented by the Government to the Legislative Assembly proposed the concession of both the La Union and the Acajutla ports to one operator.

CEPA president, Albino Román, said that this is the most appropriate way because it is attractive to big companies and will permit better development of the terminal and will generate income for the country, both from the operation of the port as well as from taxes.