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For the first time in Chile and on the West Coast of South America (WCSA) San Antonio Terminal International (STI) has docked two very large containerships of 366 m in length.
The containerships MSC Katrina and MSC Rene y measure 366m in length and span 48m in beam with a cargo capacity of more than 12,000 teu. The manoeuvre marked a milestone for shipping on the west coast of South America.
“Our 930 metres of dock allow us to carry out this operation. We prepared very well for this double docking, in order to deliver the best service possible. We are proud to have welcomed these two vessels simultaneously,” said STI's CEO, José Iribarren.
Each vessel was assisted by three ship-to-shore cranes, which should complete 5,584 movements, 3,461 unloading and 2,123 loading, between the two vessels. The manoeuvres concluded on April 3rd when the MSC Katrina and MSC Rene set sail for Coronel, in Southern Chile.
Volumes have recovered in recent months in San Antonio, which poses a two-prong challenge. “We must continue dealing with COVID by protecting our workers while, at the same time, maintaining the continuity of the logistics chain with more cargo. We are deploying all efforts to navigate this intense period without letting down our guard against the virus,” he said.
In December, STI, which operates the south quay of San Antonio port in Valparaíso region, reached an agreement to extend its concession contract from 2025 to 2030 in exchange for investing $44m. from next year.
Most of the investments will be in new equipment and with the additions, STI expects to increase its capacity to 1.6m teu. In 2020, STI moved over 1m teus and is the busiest container port in Chile.
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