APM Terminals’ Moín Container Terminal (MCT) in Costa Rica has been granted permission by the National Council of Concessions (CNC) to start commercial operations at its first deep-sea berth. This is a key step for the terminal, which is on schedule to be fully operational in February 2019.
The permit, which is subject to meeting all safety and service requirements, will enable the transfer of all commercial container ships currently serviced at Puerto Limón and Puerto Moín to the MCT. This will take place once APM Terminals delivers the dock´s first phase, which includes two berths and 40 hectares of artificial island due in February 2019.
“The authorization from CNC to start receiving commercial vessels, represents a significant step change in maritime cargo handling logistics in Costa Rica and a huge leap towards improving national competitiveness,” said Kenneth Waugh, Managing Director of APM Terminals Moín.
Since the completion of the mega-port’s equipment installation, APM Terminals’ personnel has carried out rigorous training with test ships in order to guarantee safe and efficient operations. As part of the training, a group of operators has also traveled to APM Terminals operations in Brazil, Colombia, Egypt and Morocco to gain first-hand experience of best practices for efficient high-volume terminals.
The first ship to arrive at the Moín Container Terminal on 27 October was CAP BEATRICE, followed next week by Hamburg Süd’s Polar México containership, with a Nominal Capacity of 3,947 TEU, arriving from Panama. 70% of the cargo loaded onto the ship will consist of bananas and pineapples, from both Del Monte and Fyffes companies, destined for Northern Europe.
“Thanks to the Moín Container Terminal, we will no longer be a port for small boats that require merchandise to be transferred to reach their final destination, but a port that is able to receive today’s largest container ships with direct connections and reliable intermodal links to key markets,” Waugh explained.
According to the most recent data from the World Economic Forum, Costa Rica ranks today in the 109 out of 140 countries in the global port infrastructure index. However, projections suggest that once the MCT starts operations, Costa Rica will become Latin America’s port leader.
Starting with this weekly service, the number of ships served will be increased gradually until February 2019, when the project will be completed and the TCM will be officially inaugurated.
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