Uruguay sets auction date

Uruguay’s National Port Authority has set the date of 17 March for a public auction for a second container terminal in the port of Montevideo.

Alberto Diaz, general manager of the Administracion Nacional de Puertos told Cargo Systems that the 30-year concession will be awarded to the bidder that offers the highest fixed annual payment to the government.

"Payments will need to factor in an element linked to forecast growth at the second terminal," said Diaz.

The port’s second largest operator, Montecon, now controlled by Chilean terminal operator, Ultramar, is one of the most interested in participating in the bid for a second terminal.

Montecon’s general manager Juan Olascoaga says it will invest US$10m between 2010 and 2015 to bolster its existing stevedoring operations in Montevideo.

It hopes the investments – which include the acquisition of five new reachstackers for full containers and one empty container handler – will form part of a bigger plan to invest up to $270m in the second terminal if it is successful in next year’s bid.

Carlos Allimant, Ultramar’s general manager, confirmed the group was interested in converting Montecon from a stevedore operating in the public area of Montevideo to a dedicated operator capable of rivalling the port’s largest container operator, Terminal Cuenca de la Plata. Ultramar moved into Uruguayan terminal operations in 2006 through its investment in Schandy Logistics.

Katoen Natie-owned TCP has the contract to operate the existing container concession and handled 60% of Montevideo’s volumes of 693,000teu last year, according to Diaz.

Other investors that have shown their interest in developing competition in the port include ICTSI and APM Terminals.

TCP recently completed the second phase of its expansion extending its berth to 638 metres and paved area to 27ha plus the addition of four ZPMC post-panamax gantry cranes.

It has invested $188m in the port to take capacity to 1.9m teu a year and prepare Montevideo for the arrival of ships being ordered by Maersk Line and Hamburg Sud of up to 7,500teu.

Fuente: Cargo Systems