The President of Mexico Enrique Peña Nieto and the Prime Minister of Denmark Lars Lokke Rasmussen inaugurated APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas, Latin America’s most technologically-advanced container terminal.
The ceremony marked the official opening of the Pacific coast deep-water terminal with an annual throughput capacity of 1.2m teu. At full build-out the terminal will increase annual throughput capacity to more than 4m teu in 2030 with an investment of $900m.
“Markets with strong trade alliances tend to outperform global growth and Mexico alone has signed more than 45 free trade agreements, making it one of the world’s most important economies. Maersk is committed to Mexico, and across our Transport and Logistics brands, we employ more than 800 people locally,” said Søren Skou, ceo of AP Møller-Maersk.
The terminal, which is the second terminal for APM Terminals in Mexico after APM Terminals Yucatan, is currently performing 30% above expectations in terms of container turnaround times in March, and is expected to improve operational efficiencies per container by 20%.
“The technology in this terminal will bring increased predictability and efficiency to our shipping line customers, while ensuring the highest levels of safety for our employees and supply chain partners, contributing to Mexico’s trade and growth stories as well as long-term competitiveness,” said md for APM Terminals in Mexico, Jose Rueda.
The terminal received its first official vessel call on 27 February 2017 with the arrival of the 9,600 teu-Maersk Salalah, on the Maersk AC2 Transpacific service from Asia.
With the first phase of the terminal complete, APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas covers 49 hectares, with a 750 metre-quay and a depth of 16.5 m, deep enough to accommodate the latest generation of ultra-large containerships. The terminal is equipped with five intermodal rail tracks and offers automated gate services with five ship-to-shore cranes.
Lazaro Cardenas is the second busiest port in Mexico moving 1.1m teu in 2016 and 90% of Mexico Pacific coast trade passes through either Lazaro Cardenas or Manzanillo, 360 km north.
“We are working hard to make this terminal as efficient as possible for customers,” said APM Terminals Chief Commercial Officer Henrik Lundgaard Pedersen. “Thanks to its semi-automated processes, APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas will offer faster turnaround times per container as well as faster intermodal transportation via its superior on-dock rail connection. The terminal’s strong geographic position on the coast and its connection with our inland terminal at Cuautitlan Izcalli in the industrial zone of Mexico City ensures our customers have easy access to inland distribution centers and a consumer market of over 120m people.”
Mexico handled 5.66m teu in 2016, behind only Brazil and Panama in Latin American port container traffic volume.
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