Overview
The Port of the Americas (the “Port”) is an expanding deep draft container terminal on the south coast of Puerto Rico in Ponce, the Commonwealth’s second largest
city by population. The Port will be a modern, state-of-the-art containerized import/export and transshipment cargo facility.
The Port is a strategic economic development project for Puerto Rico and part of Governor Luis Fortuño’s Strategic Model for a New Economy. Please note that Governor Fortuño’s economic plan is available in its entirety at: www.fortaleza.gobierno.pr
The Port currently offers a modern Post-Panamax berth (with 50 foot depth) and a container yard with capacity of up to 250,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) per year.
An $84.4 million government-funded expansion is ongoing through mid-2011 and will result in the Port having annual container capacity of up to 500,000 TEUs as well as the necessary basic infrastructure for the development of an adjacent value-added zone (VAZ).
Future Port development phases envision a multi-berth Post-Panamax container terminal facility with annual throughput capacity of up to 2.2 million TEU.
Super Post-Panamax Crane Arrival
Two Super Post Panamax cranes, manufactured by theChinese firm ZPMC, arrived at the Port on Thursday, January 21, 2010. The arrival of the cranes represents an important milestone in the ability of the Port to become the principal containerized cargo hub in the Caribbean.
The Port’s crane investment totals $22.7 million, and was financed through a line of credit with the Government Development Bank for Puerto Rico. The cranes weigh 1,600 metric tons (3.5 million pounds) and have an outreach and backreach of 187 feet and 52.5 feet, respectively. The cranes have “twin pick” capabilities (lifting two 20 foot containers simultaneously) and a lifting range of up to 126 feet above the piers.
Overall, the Port’s new ZPMC ship-to-shore cranes will transform Ponce’s skyline and serve as a visible sign of economic development in Southern Puerto Rico.
Recent Achievements / Next Steps
2009 was a year of action for the Port filled with numerous important progress points, including:
- Advancing negotiations with leading global institutions interested in investing in the Port
- Finalizing the procurement of the ZPMC Post Panamax ship-to-shore cranes
- Petitioning the U.S. government for up to $70 million of funding through the Department of Transportation’s TIGER discretionary grant program
- Finalizing the dredging process at the Port’s berths to ensure 50-foot depths; and
- Completing the 250,000 TEU container yard facilities.
2010 is expected to be another transformative year for the Port, with a focus on:
- Successfully validating the ZPMC Post Panamax cranes
- Completing the negotiation for the long-term operating rights of the Port
- Continuing the Port’s infrastructure investment program, including the 500,000 TEU container yard expansion, the construction of an interchange gate, and VAZ land improvements; and
- Attracting leading global businesses to take advantage of Puerto Rico’s robust economic and tax incentives available in the Port’s VAZ.
For additional resources as to why the Port offers compelling infrastructure and industrial investment opportunities, please visit our web site frequently.
