The international bidding process for the San Antonio Outer Port already has five companies prequalified, which confirms the global interest in one of the most relevant infrastructure works for Chile in the coming decades.
The consortia are Acciona-Deme (Spain-Belgium), Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. (Korea), Van Oord (Netherlands), Jan de Nul (Belgium) and China Harbour Engineering Company CHEC (China). All of them are part of the Register of Prequalified Companies, after complying with the technical and administrative requirements of the process.
With an estimated investment of US$4.45 billion, Puerto Exterior is the largest port infrastructure project in Chile's history. Promoted by the State through Empresa Portuaria San Antonio, it contemplates the construction of a 4-kilometer-long breakwater, two terminals of 1,730 meters each and the capacity to receive, simultaneously, up to eight 400-meter-long ships, the largest in the world today.
According to the authorities, this initiative, in its initial stage, will double the country's port capacity and generate more than 4,000 jobs in San Antonio, strengthening Chile's competitiveness in international maritime trade.
Juan Carlos Muñoz, Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, stated that "Chile is a maritime country, with more than 6,000 kilometers of coastline that allow us to project a large part of our foreign trade. This requires the incorporation of technology and modernization of our port system, and the interest of some of the world's leading companies in this project is a concrete sign of the seriousness and credibility offered by our country".
Once in full operation, projected for 2036, this new complex will have the capacity to transfer 6 million TEUs per year, equivalent to nearly 60 million tons of cargo. With this, the Outer Port of San Antonio, located in central Chile, will triple its current capacity in full operation, consolidating its position as a strategic node in the South Pacific and in the network of large-scale ports in Latin America and the Caribbean.
"The Port of San Antonio is not only the main cargo port in Chile, but also one of the most important in Latin America and among the 100 most important in the world. The confidence of five of the most important global port companies in participating in this project reflects the legal, political and economic soundness of Chile, as well as the strategic projection of a project that will triple our port capacity and is committed to the long term," said Eduardo Abedrapo, chairman of the board of Empresa Portuaria San Antonio.
From Imagen de Chile, the executive director María Teresa Saldías, highlighted that "the interest of world leading companies in participating in the construction of the San Antonio Outer Port is a clear sign of the confidence that Chile awakens as a serious, competitive and open country to the world. This strategic project will not only strengthen our connectivity and international maritime trade, but also projects Chile as a reliable partner in the development of large-scale infrastructure, with a responsible commitment to people and the environment".
