After investing $13.2 million in the expansion of the container yard and the commissioning of two cranes, the storage capacity of the Salvadoran maritime terminal increased by 30%.
Directors of the Executive Autonomous Port Commission (CEPA) stated that $3.2 million was invested in the expansion of the container yard and another $10 million was invested in the commissioning of the two new cranes with a lifting capacity of 150 metric tons.
From 26 to 30 August, representatives of the port industry of Central America and the Dominican Republic will meet in Antigua Guatemala to discuss innovation, trends and facilitation of international trade.
From the National Port Commission of Guatemala' s press release:
In the first nine months of 2018, eight environmental impact studies were presented to perform dredging works and new constructions in different port terminals in the region, with a $75 million estimated investment.
The interactive platform "Construction in Central America", compiled by the Business Intelligence Unit at CentralAmericaData, includes an up to date list of public and private construction projects for which environmental impact studies (EIA) were submitted to the respective institutions of each country.
With the aim of attracting companies from El Salvador, the two operators of the Atlantic ports in Honduras and Guatemala are working on modernizing their infrastructure.
Representatives from the Central American Port Operator (OPC by its initials in Spanish) of Puerto Cortés, in Honduras, explained that due to inefficient processes and high costs, they have lost a lot of cargo from El Salvador in recent years.
Lack of electricity and logistics and storage problems at Floridian ports are complicating exports from Central America, especially for perishable goods.
Difficulties faced at ports in Florida and Puerto Rico are affecting the region's exporters, who are looking for alternatives so that their shipments are not affected.
Almost nine years after its inauguration, Puerto La Union in El Salvador is still not operating to its full capacity, and two years have now passed without a private company managing to take over its operation.
The explanation seems simple: There is no market for this port in the Pacific. Puerto La Unión, whose construction ended almost nine years ago, has not succeeded because there is no demand for cargo. The president of the Autonomous Executive Port Commission (CEPA) himself, Nelson Vanegas, recognizes it."..."The biggest problem is that there is no cargo.You can´t put the horse before the cart.You have to put first horse first, to pull the cart.This is a classic project in which they put the cart first, because there was no cargo'."
The 70% growth in cargo movement through the port of Corinto in the last five years reflects the imperative need for Nicaragua to invest more in port infrastructure.
Even though container movements through Nicaraguan ports are still significantly less than that through other ports in the region, the increase in sea freight traffic and its growth potential compel the government and the sectors involved to think about options for increasing port capacity.
From July 25 to 28 representatives from the port industry in the region will be meeting in Belize at the XXXIX Port Meeting of the Central American Isthmus.
At the event, to be held at the Best Westerm Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize, the main discussion panels will address current issues such as the Cruise Industry, Mobility and Logistics Policy in Central America, Strengthening Environmental Port Management in Central America, Multilateral Agreement And Safety, Port Security and Protection, Gross Verified Mass (GVM), Climate Change and the Role of Women in the Port Industry, among others.
The Executive Port Commission plans to invest $9 million this year on modernization works at the Salvadoran terminal, and $20 million in the purchase of two RTG gantry cranes.
From March 12 to 15 shipping companies, logistics companies and others from this industry will be meeting in Panama to discuss issues such as the use of new energy sources and technology on ships.
The Panama Maritime Chamber has announced the holding of the XIII Panama MaritimeConference& Exhibition from March 12 to 15 at the Megapolis Convention Center in Panama City.
The operator of Puerto Caldera in Costa Rica, has hired a French-Colombian consortium for the construction of a multipurpose port in the Gulf of Uraba, adjacent to the border with Panama, with an investment of $580 million.
PIO SAS, a holding company dedicated among other sectors to the development, implementation and management of services for port infrastructure and logistics, has announced that the consortium Sapeim from France and Termotecnica Coindustrial S.A. from Colombia, is the preferred contractor for the stage of Engineering, Procurement, and construction (EPC) of Puerto Antioquia, which will be the closest Colombian port to the Panama canal and the closest to Medellin and Bogota.
There are no companies interested in resuming operations at the Salvadoran port terminal under the public-private partnership model.
The tenders to award a concession of the terminal did not peak the interest of any company, and now, the possibility of operating the port La Union under the legal concept of a public-private partnership has also been found to not be an attractive option.The Salvadoran government has insisted on finding a way for La Union to become operational, even thoughthere is not enough maritime traffic to be served by this terminal and that of Acajutla.
It is not only the port of Corozal which needs immediate promotion, there is also an urgent need to keep building port infrastructure in order to take advantage of the Canal expansion.
EDITORIAL
The opinion of entrepreneurs in the logistics sector is unanimous: the forthcoming opening of the new and expanded Panama Canal locks should be the starting point for consolidating Panama as a major logistics hub for the hemisphere.
The new 340 meters quay that the concessionaire Colon Container Terminal has started to operate has capacity to accommodate up to 22 rows of vessels.
The dock required an investment of $150 million and has increased port capacity by 500 thousand TEUs, bringing the total capacity of the port to 2 million TEUs.
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