Peruvian President Ollanta Humala has toured APM Terminals Callao to personally view how the company’s $750 million investment in the North Terminal is creating new jobs and modernizing the multi-purpose terminal into a world-class facility, handling container, bulk, Ro/Ro, general cargo and cruise vessels.
Accompanied by the Minister of Transport and Communications, José Gallardo, President Humala inspected the 12 new electric Rubber-Tire Gantry (RTG) cranes and four new Super Post-Panamax ship-to-shore (STS) cranes which were delivered to the terminal in late August.
The STS cranes, the largest in the world, with a 23 container-wide reach, and a lifting capacity of 100 tons, will dramatically improve the terminal’s productivity, operating with the highest levels of performance and safety.
“ This is a proud moment for us to demonstrate to President Humala the important role we are playing in Peru’s future through new port infrastructure, combined with the safety and productivity standards of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network” said APM Terminals Callao Managing Director , Henrik Kristensen .
The terminal expansion and modernization project will be completed in five phases. The first two phases will include building new administrative offices, dredging the channel and berth to 16 meters, expanding the container yard, and building an underground conveyor belt for grains, in addition to the installation of the four Super Post- Panamax cranes and 12 RTGs.
These efforts will double the terminal’s annual container capacity from 800,000 TEUs to 1.6 million TEUs, as well as increasing general cargo capacity. The project thus far has created over 1,200 jobs in the construction phase, and 100 new positions for crane operators.
At completion in 2021, APM Terminals Callao will represent an annual container throughput capacity of 2.9 million TEUs and 15 million tons of bulk cargo. The Port of Callao is the busiest container port on the West Coast of South America, and the 3rd-busiest on the continent, with a 2013 throughput of 1.85 million TEUs.
“ With this world-class facility able to handle the largest vessels in the trans-Pacific trade, Callao will become a new center of trade and development for the Latin American Region, ” observed Mr. Kristensen.
APM Terminals Callao handled approximately 500,000 TEUs for the year, representing a growth rate of 23% in container volume over 2012. The Port of Callao’s overall container throughput is projected to double within five years. Averaging a 6% annual expansion rate for the past decade, Peru has been the fastest-growing economy in South America.
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Press Release, September 18, 2014