His Excellency Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World, underlined the importance of DP World Caucedo in serving the wider Caribbean region as a hub port as he concluded his tour of the company’s marine terminals in South America with a visit to the Dominican Republic terminal.
Mr Bin Sulayem was accompanied on his tour of DP World’s terminals in Peru, Argentina, Suriname and Dominican Republic, as well as the new development in Brazil, by senior company officials including Chief Executive Officer, Mohammed Sharaf, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, Suhail Albanna and Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Americas, Matthew Leech.
In March last year, HE Leonel Fernandez, President of the Dominican Republic and Mr. Bin Sulayem officially inaugurated the second phase of DP World Caucedo, which increased Caucedo’s overall handling capacity by 25 per cent to 1,250,000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent container units) annually. The expansion consists of an additional 300 meters of deepwater berth, two new broad yield mobile cranes in addition to the existing five gantry quay cranes. A sixth quay crane and three further rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes will arrive in April as the final part of the capacity expansion initiated in 2009.
HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman, DP World , said:
“ DP World Caucedo is well positioned to serve the Caribbean region with its modern and sophisticated infrastructure and is a key hub for South American cargo. The recent expansion in handling capacity of the port is an indication of our confidence in the strength of the Dominican Republic’s economy, and fits with our strategy of focusing on fast emerging markets .
“ DP World Caucedo is also strongly focused on security at the terminal. DP World Caucedo has achieved the independently audited ISO 28000 security management standard, and it participates in the US Container Security Initiative (CSI), with US Customs officials stationed at the port .”
DP World Caucedo is the Dominican Republic’s primary port located about 20km away from the Dominican capital Santo Domingo, with an International Airport and the recently developed Free Zone and Logistics centres close by.
According to Fitch Ratings announced last month, the Dominican Republic’s GDP growth is estimated at 4.9% in 2012, 5.7% in 2013, and 4% thereafter; local traffic volumes will grow 10% in 2012 and 3.0% thereafter, and transshipment levels will increase 8% in 2012.
DP World plans to embark upon expansion of the feeder capacity through the development of an additional feeder berth at the breakwater, the development timed with market demand.
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Dredging Today Staff, February 23, 2012