Government invested more than 110,000,000 dollars in the new Capurro port

Statement from the Presidency of Uruguay

This is an automated translation of the press release issued in Spanish

The President of the Republic, Luis Lacalle Pou, headed, this Tuesday 3, the inauguration of the Capurro port, which will host fishing activity in Montevideo. The new infrastructure represents an investment of more than 110,000,000 dollars. The president also highlighted the start of dredging work on the access channel to the capital's port terminal, which, he assured, "will be a before and after."

Lacalle Pou was accompanied at the ceremony by the Secretary of the Presidency, Rodrigo Ferrés; the Deputy Secretary, Mariana Cabrera; the Minister of Transport and Public Works , José Luis Falero, and the Undersecretary, Juan José Olaizola; the Minister and Undersecretary of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries, Fernando Mattos and Juan Ignacio Buffa, respectively; the Minister of Housing and Territorial Planning, Raúl Lozano; the President of the National Port Administration ( ANP ), Juan Curbelo, and the Vice President, Daniel Loureiro, among other national authorities.

The president highlighted the work carried out at the Capurro Fishing Terminal during this administration, and recalled that the remains of 32 of the nearly 50 sunken ships were removed, in order to optimize the available space.

He assured that the port's organization requires legal and logistical organization. In this regard, he said that he approves the management to be carried out at the specialized container terminal, through a contract that will establish a fee, and the expansion of the link that will generate more mobility capacity.

Finally, Lacalle Pou highlighted the start of dredging works in the access channel, to bring it to a depth of 14 metres, after having obtained the approval of the Argentine Government. The works are being carried out by public dredgers, and contracts will be made with private parties. “This will be a turning point,” he said.

Falero, for his part, indicated that the inauguration of the Capurro port and the relocation of the fishing industry offer greater comfort to workers and allow for decongestion at the Montevideo port terminal, within the framework of a reorganization of the site.

The port of Montevideo will increase its cargo capacity, he said, and said that the creation of space will also benefit other terminals in the country. “Our ports are called to be reference ports in the region,” said the minister.

Curbelo, meanwhile, explained that the works involved an investment of more than 110 million dollars, financed entirely by the ANP. 25 hectares were reclaimed from the river, 20 of which belong to the port, while another five will be used for improvement actions in the neighborhood, he said.

He also stressed the Government's support for the fishing sector, expressed through the port authority, and assured that the work represents its vindication. In another order, he said that different contracts are planned to make the port of Montevideo the main terminal of its kind in the Río de la Plata, in order to become a hub that receives cargo from the entire region, to generate more work and development.

Finally, he reported that the port moves 50% more containers compared to 2019, and registers revenues higher than 20% compared to the same year. In this regard, he announced that the three scanners acquired for the control of merchandise will be able to start operating on October 2.

On the occasion, Lacalle Pou postmarked a stamp alluding to the inauguration, together with authorities from the Uruguayan Post Office.