APM Terminals wins Costa Rica case

Costa Rica’s Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the Costa Rican government and APM Terminals in an appeal filed by a port workers’ union against the 33-year concession contract for the new Moin Container Terminal (TCM) in Limón, on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

Paul Gallie, managing director of APM Terminals for Central America, commented: “The new Moin Container Terminal is a project of the Costa Rican state, which will promote the country’s global competitiveness and the socioeconomic development of the province of Limón, which is why this verdict motivates us and strengthens our confidence in the judicial system.”
He continued: “The TCM will be a world-class, modern, safe and efficient terminal operating under international standards and procedures, designed to boost Costa Rica’s international trade by taking full advantage of the economy of scale provided by the new-Panamax container vessels of up to 13,500 containers, vessels up to five times larger than those that can be serviced in the country today.”
APM Terminals was contracted by the state and port authority, JAPDEVA, for the design, finance, construction, operation and maintenance of the new Moin Container Terminal. This project, which is designed with a surface area of 80 hectares, 500 metres off the coast of Moin, 1,500 metres of berth, nine STS gantry cranes and 39 yard cranes and to be open 24-7, will be wholly owned by the state of Costa Rica.
The TCM is a key component of JAPDEVA’s master plan to modernize the Caribbean port complex of Limon/Moin, which will also include a cruise ship terminal, a general cargo terminal in addition to the expansion of the petroleum terminal managed by RECOPE, the latter already underway.
In September, APM Terminals delivered to the environmental agency, SETENA, the final extensive information annex requested by the institution in order to complete the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment process. SETENA’s final ruling is expected by the end of October.