Cuba advances with port modernization

Works on a new multipurpose terminal at Cuba's Guillermón Moncada port in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba are on track to be completed by mid-year, according to Chinese state news agency Xinhua.

Construction began in 2015 and is carried out by state-owned China Communications Construction Company (CCCC). Thus, the Chinese government finances the project through a US$120mn loan.

The project entails the construction of storage facilities and a 250m pier to load and unload cargo via five gantry cranes.

Terminal capacity is expected to reach 565,000t of cargo a year, including general merchandise, containers, and bulk products.

With the arrival of modules from China, dredging works can start shortly. Dredging will increase the port's capacity to receive vessels carrying up to 55,000t, as the current limit stands at 30,000t.

This project forms part of a larger initiative to boost a nearby industrial zone, which includes cement plants, oil refineries and a shipyard.