PSA Panama awards contracts for expansion

PSA Panama has awarded two major contracts for a total of $200m for the dredging alongside the future berths to 16.3 m draught, a scope of work of 4m cu m to Belgium-based Jan de Nul. The construction of 800 m of new quay wall was awarded to a Belgium-French joint venture between Jan de Nul-Sapiem.

PSA Panama will have a total berth length of 1,140 m, up from 340 m today. This is sufficient to handle two mega-vessels and one medium-sized vessel at the same time.

The works will take about 17 months and beginning of operations is scheduled for March 2017, said PSA head of Latin America Enno Koll.

In addition "we are awarding the order of eight new quay cranes with 24-row outreach next week,” said Koll.

“Everything is moving well. This new capacity will be ready to handle the expected increase in transhipment demand in the coming years. With our expansion, capacity on the Pacific side of Panama will be 7m teu,” he added.

In Latin America, PSA operates the PSA Panama International Terminal, is a partner in Exolgan Container Terminal in Argentina and is building in a JV with ICTSI the SPIA-Aguadulce terminal, in the bay of Buenaventura on the Colombian Pacific coast.