Ecuador is reopening discussions for a proposed US$450 million deepwater terminal in Posorja due to the impending opening of new locks in the Panama Canal. The terminal would have a 15m draft and was originally awarded to a Spanish group in 2006 but the project was later revoked. A local company with foreign investors is now interested in the opportunity. The transport minister has agreed to meet with the company to discuss the potential terminal, which could serve larger ships able to pass through the new Panama Canal locks opening in 2015. However, the size of ships serving South America may only require an average 13m draft, so authorities are also considering dredging works to deepen Guayaquil port.

1. ECUADOR REOPENING DISCUSSIONS FOR US$ 450 MILLION DEEPWATER TERMINAL
22/08/2013
Ecuadorian officials and foreign investors are reopening discussions over the possibility of a
deepwater terminal in Posorja, a town about 120km from Guayaquil, Emilio Aguiar, president of
maritime chamber CAMAE told BNamericas.
In 2006, a US$450mn concession to build and operate a deepwater port with a 15m draft in
Posorja was awarded to Spanish group Alianza Internacional Portuaria (Alinport). However, works
never began and the authorization for construction was later revoked. "This authorization is just
starting to be revisited as of a couple of weeks ago," Aguiar said.
Earlier this week, local company Nobis, which is a shareholder of Alinport, sent a letter to
transport and communication ministry MTOP claiming to have new foreign investors interested in
the opportunity, according to a release from MTOP. Transport and communication minister María
Duarte has agreed to meet with the firm to further discuss the possibility of a deepwater terminal
in Posorja.
When the third set of locks in the Panama canal open in 2015, ships with an up to 15m draft will
be able to pass through. This impending deadline is what has led to the recent discussions about
the Posorja deepwater terminal, as well as the possibility of relocating Guayaquil port.
"However, this doesn't necessarily mean that the ships that serve South America will be of this
draft," Aguiar said. "The size of the ships, the design, are determined by the volume of cargo that
there is in the region. So despite the fact that the locks will allow for a 15m draft, the ships that will
pass through will have on average a draft of 13m." With this in mind, authorities have also begun
to discuss dredging works to increase the draft of Guayaquil port to 13m, he said.
(BNamericas)