Empresa Portuaria Quetzal is putting out to tender improvement works on a Dolphin type pier located in the Cruise Terminal of Puerto Quetzal.
The current deterioration of the Dolphin type pier, located at the cruise terminal in the western basin of Puerto Quetzal, is putting its infrastructure at risk of collapse, resulting in difficulties in service cruise ships and exposure to sanctions for non-compliance with international standards.
The Port of Quetzal is putting out to tender the construction of import and export warehouses at the site of the port.
The purpose of the project is the need to modernize the port due to annual growth and the need to provide better care to optimize the service, and bring adequate control in the supply and cost of the service in EPQ.
The deadline for submission of proposals is July 18, 2013.
The Spanish company which is to build and operate the new container terminal at Puerto Quetzal, is seeking $250 million from banks in Guatemala.
As explained by Juan José Suárez, CEO of Container Terminal Quetzal (TCQ), the advisory firm Everis, will be responsible for making the round of contacts with the banks which could finance the construction of a new dock and terminal in the Port of Quetzal (EPQ).
Cruise companies need improvements in port areas reserved for passengers, cargo ships and vessel towing.
The director of Puerto Quetzal, Allan Marroquín, explained that the cruise industry, in relation to Puerto Quetzal, "... first of all, proposes having towing equipment that has greater capacity, because sometimes the weight of the ships coming in exceeds that which can be handled at the Port ".
Having dismissed all legal action, the usufruct of land awarded to TCB for the construction of a new container terminal at Puerto Quetzal will be reactivated.
Allan Marroquín, Comptroller of Empresa Portuaria Quetzal (EPQ), indicated that the processes that are pending should not extend beyond the February 2013. To date the contract has been "suspended by mutual agreement. To be reactivated just by an exchange of letters", said Marroquin.
Otto Perez Molina: "This is the third attempt to modernize the port and it must not fail, it must go ahead. I am determined for this to succeed and ask you to allow modernization "
Tthe forum ‘Myths and Realities of Puerto Quetzal’ was convened by the President in order to explain the reasons for the Port of Quetzal Company (EPQ in Spanish) has leased an area of 348, 171.81 square meters for 25 years, renewable, to the company, Terminal de Contenedores Quetzal (TCQ), a subsidiary of the Spanish company Terminal de Contenedores de Barcelona (TCB).
In light of the conflict caused by workers in Puerto Quetzal, the government has suspended the contract for leasing the land for a new container terminal which had been awarded to TCB.
The controller of the port of Quetzal, at the close of the meeting with union representatives said, "We will not hand over the land nor give anything that provides continuity to the contract.
The union for the Guatemalan port has offered $40 million so that its very own Quetzal Port Company will be the one to build the new container terminal initially awarded to the Spanish company TCB.
The union's general secretary, Lazaro Reyes, said they would be willing to invest in the labor liabilities and deposits in the new terminal in order to ensure that it is the port who will manage the services.
A study revealed that an international tender to award a concession for the lease of 35 thousand square meters would have generated more income for the state.
It was also noted that the essential new container terminal could have been built with the Port of Quetzal’s (EPQ in Spanish) own funds: "The EPQ is a profitable company, which in 2010 had earnings of Q137 million [$17.4 million] and in 2011 Q120 million [$15.3 million].
After having signed a contract for leasing the land for 25 years, the Spanish company Terminales de Contenedores de Barcelona will invest $120 million in the project.
After a rumor had spread about a concession for Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala, which would have involved an international competitive tender, the controller of the port of Quetzal (EPQ), Allan Marroquin, yesterday informed Prensa Libre that "three week ago a contract was signed under which 35 thousand square meters will be leased to the Spanish company in Terminales de Contenedores de Barcelona (Grupo TCB). "
In light of complaints from ministers regarding a possible concession of the port to the Spanish Group TCB, representatives from the port authority have denied this possibility.
The legislative bloc Libertad Democrática Renovada (Líder) said that since last February there have been discussions over a project to grant an operation concession over Port Quetzal to Spanish company Grupo TCB for over $400 million.
The company Terminal de Granos del Pacífico has increased the capacity of its warehouses to store 14,000 more tons of flour and grains.
The company Pacific Grain Terminal (Terpac) now has larger warehouses in Puerto Quetzal, Escuintla, Guatemala, which provides a greater capacity for receiving and handling imported flours and grains.
"The extended area can store 14,000 tonnes of products additionally, which means a 40 percent increase in storage capacity," said Francisco de Leon Regil, Terpac’s manager, to Prensalibre.com.The investment amount was Q40 million ($5.13 million).
Despite this increase, there was a decrease in attended vessels.
In the first eight months of the year freight grew by 33% compared to the same period last year, reflecting the dynamism experienced by the ports of Guatemala this year.
The increase in cargo carried and the decrease in ships that arrived in Puerto Quetzal is explained in part by the larger ships being used now, which are able to carry more cargo than before.
The decision by shippers not to use the Mexican ports of Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas has significantly influenced growth.
Retention of containers in 2010 in the Mexican ports has caused several shipping companies to opt for the terminal in Guatemala instead.
With the inauguration of the Seventh Regional Maritime Congress, Estuardo Villatoro, sub interventor of the Port of Quetzal (EPQ) noted, "We expect to attend to about 60,000 container movements this year."
Since the installation of the Central Asia South America Services, the Porturia Quetzal Company has been able to move more containers.
The system (which mobilizes trans-shipment containers) has raised the average number of containers moved per month from 13,500 to 20,000.
The assistant manager of operations in Puerto Quetzal, Ricardo Monterroso, told Sigloxxi.com.gt, "The competitive issue is important to us, for this reason we are using the new system to re-adjusts administrative and operational policies to provide highly competitive services in the region."