Manta plans US$150mn transshipment terminal

Ecuador's port authority of Manta has retained US port engineering firm Moffat and Nichol International to draw up a port expansion plan that includes a new US$150mn container terminal, Marcelo Mera, head of the authority's concession office told BNamericas. The three-phase plan will form the basis of a 25-year port concession that the authority intends to give in 2005. "Manta is in a unique position because it is the port with the deepest berths in Ecuador so it can receive vessels that port of Guayaquil and port of Esmeraldas cannot," Mera said. Following an initial upgrade and maintenance of existing quays, the second and third phases of the expansion will be triggered by attaining pre-defined cargo volume levels. These have yet to be finalized but take into account expected growth of 6-8% annually. In 2003, the port handled 620,000t. The final stage would take advantage of the port's deep waters to develop a new container transshipment terminal with 14m-deep berths capable of handling 100,000 TEU/y. The port currently handles 29,600 TEU/y.