A Philippine company, ICTSI, has offered to build a new port of 220 meters in Caldera next to the existing one. The company has a positive reputation for managing 32 ports in 18 countries.
It would operate under the private initiative model, meaning it would design, build and operate it without cost to the Government. The idea would be to operate both terminals as one mega-terminal once the current concession finishes.
The National Concessions Council is considering the offer which would in the short term fix the collapse Caldera is facing by allowing larger container ships to dock where they currently can’t because of the depth.
The offer is to invest $180 million in the first stage and immediately build a dock adjacent to the current one with 12.5 meters of depth and a patio and other facilities for container operation. It would be done in two years and allow the movement of 220,000 containers a year.