ANP suspends Montevideo terminal bidding

Uruguay's national ports administrator ANP has suspended the bidding process for a 30-year concession to build and operate a multipurpose terminal at capital Montevideo's port, an ANP official told BNamericas. Offers had been due Wednesday (November 12). Questions regarding the bidding rules and their possible modification prompted the process' suspension, said the official, adding that an announcement regarding the process' bidding timetable is expected next week. Some US$20mn will be invested in the Terminal Polivalente complex, which will be built on Montevideo port's pier C. The 550m pier's 12m draught will allow larger vessels to dock (the port's current depth is 10m) and make use of a 14ha operations area. The winner will be expected to have a minimum capacity to move 30,000 containers and 200,000t of cargo during the contract's first year, increasing to 80,000 containers and 800,000t by the 15th year. The winner will have six months to prepare an investment program timetable for the contract's first 15 years. The project is considered the most far-reaching of all works in the port's master plan and should be operational in 2005. Montevideo port expects to double its traffic in 15-20 years, due largely to the export of forestry products, according to the ANP, which also points out that in the last few years traffic has increased an average of 8% annually. The port moved 292,962 TEUs in 2002.