Manila-headquartered port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) largest port concession in the Americas, Contecon Guayaquil SA (CGSA), recently secured the Ecuador government’s nod to service larger vessels.
The Ecuadorian Ministry of Transport and Public Works, through the Subsecretary of Ports and Maritime Transportation, recently gave its green light for CGSA to accommodate mega vessels of up to 305 meters in length at the Port of Guayaquil’s Berths 2 and 3. With this, CGSA is now the first and only terminal in Ecuador with the capacity to serve two mega vessels at the same time, resulting in higher efficiency and productivity levels, ICTSI said in a statement.
“Our public-private partnership in the Port of Guayaquil is one of the most successful concessions in our portfolio. The government’s trust, through their approval for CGSA to handle mega vessels, speaks of our excellent track record in operating the port. It represents the harmonious relationships we have with our regulators, shipping line clients, port stakeholders, and our employees,” ICTSI chairman and president Enrique K. Razon Jr. said.
“ICTSI is now on its 11th year in Ecuador. We have made strides in the facilitation of trade and commerce, and in supporting the local economy through our investments in port infrastructure and technology. We thank the government for their continued confidence in CGSA and ICTSI,” said ICTSI head of the Americas Region Anders Kjeldsen.
Ecuador President Lenin Moreno, who visited CGSA last January to inaugurate the port’s expansion, lauded ICTSI’s contribution to the economy, especially its investments beyond its contractual commitments.
“In these facilities, the Contecon concessionaire invested USD10 million. This amount is part of the USD325 million they pledged to invest 20 years up to 2027 on Port Authority grounds. However, we should highlight that, in these 10 years, Contecon has already invested USD360 million—USD35 million more than expected. Thank you very much for this. Good for the company, for Guayaquil, and for the country,” Moreno said.
With a berth line of 1,627 meters and a maximum controlling depth of 12.5 meters, CGSA is equipped with six quay cranes and four mobile harbor cranes which can accommodate nine vessels at one time depending on the size of the vessels.
Located near Ecuador’s main export zones, the 115.4-hectare terminal has a handling capacity of up to 1.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units annually. As the preferred port of call in Ecuador, CGSA is designed to easily facilitate the country’s leading export—bananas—with its 3,627-plug reefer facility and dedicated storage and consolidation areas for the commodity.
To date, ICTSI is the largest port operator in Latin America, with two concessions in Mexico and a project each in Ecuador, Honduras, Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina.
