Spotlight: The Chancay megaport's pending works

The Chancay US$3.5bn megaport north of Lima, the first stage of which was opened this month, has the potential to add 0.9 percentage points to Peru's GDP but will require a lot of complementary infrastructure to achieve that milestone.

Rafael Zacnich, manager of economic studies at foreign trade chamber ComexPerú, said works such as truck centers – both in the port city of Callao and in Ancón – along with the Chancay-Chancayllo bypass, the Pasamayo Serpentín divided highway, an overpass on the Panamericana Norte route, improvements to Néstor Gambeta-Callao avenue and construction of the Lima-Barranca rail section, will be key to taking advantage of the port.

These works, however, are still far from seeing the light of day.

“There is still work to be done regarding infrastructure projects to feed the port of Chancay. Progress will depend not only on actors such as the transport and communications ministry but also on the housing ministry in the face of a possible clash between the vision of port security and urban development, and on local mayors such as those of Chancay and Huaral who are not making progress,” Zacnich tells BNamericas.

He adds that most of the pending projects are still in the pre-investment stage. Furthermore, given the proximity between the port of Callao and Chancay, it is urgent to reinforce the road and port infrastructure between the two.

Project	Estimated capex (US$ million)	Status
Ancón industrial park (including truck center)	762	To be awarded
Chancay-Chancayllo bypass	120	Pre-investment
Pasamayo-Serpentín road	175	Pre-investment
Overpass on the Panamerica Norte	5.7	Under construction
Nestor Gambetta improvements	To be defined	To be defined
Callao outer harbor	100	Halted
Barranca-Lima railway	More than 5,000	Project profile development

Prepared by BNamericas

Although China-backed Chancay has great potential, it is important to consider the various shocks that the Peruvian economy often faces – blockades, social conflicts and unusual rainfall – which could impact the complementary works.

“If these projects are not implemented, the positive impact may be diminished. The tariff for the direct Chancay-Shanghai route was recently published, and it represents a saving of between US$450-500 per container compared to the Callao-Shanghai route [which has several stops]. For this saving to be reflected, you need the entire route to be free and the necessary infrastructure. Otherwise, it will be diluted,” adds Zacnich.