La Plata port concession plans continue despite no-show

Argentine port La Plata's public-private managing consortium will continue with plans to put out to concession berths 9 and 18, despite having received no bids, consortium spokesperson Omar Barale told BNamericas. The three companies that purchased bidding rules conveyed to the consortium (Consorcio de Gestión del Puerto La Plata) that current market conditions kept them from submitting bids, Barale said. Company names were not released. Future concession plans will depend on many factors, several of which are out of the consortium's hands, such as needed highway works to the port that fall under Buenos Aires province's ambit, he said, without speculating on when a new call for bids could be made. The five-year concession - which could be extended an additional five years - falls under a master plan for the port that aims to turn La Plata into a value-added goods cargo handler, as it is primarily a bulk cargo port exporting hydrocarbons and steel. La Plata is southeast of capital Buenos Aires and moves an average of 5.5Mt/y.