The 25-year, $300m concession to expand and operate Manta port is scheduled to be re-launched before the end of this year. Meanwhile the government has announced it will increase its investment in infrastructure upgrades at the port of Manta by $10m, bringing the total to $80m. In addition to the $80m investment by the government, $30m will be required for equipment and that will be the responsibility of a private operator through an international tender.
The additional $10m will be used to repair the port's two international terminals as well as the dock for the industrial fishing fleet, according to a release from Manta port authority. The government said that $70m will be used to dredge the port to a 15 m depth allowing a new deep water container terminal to be built there capable of handling 600,000 teu annually.
The works fall under Ecuador's 25-year plan to revamp its ports to have the capacity for post-panamax ships.
In 2006, Hutchison won the concession for Manta announcing it would invest up to $500m confident the port’s throughput could reach 450,000 teu in the next five years. However, the investment never materialised and the international port operator left the country towards the end of the last decade.
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited. Add Seatrade Maritime News to your Google News feed.
