APM Terminals’ Moín Container Terminal (MCT), located in Costa Rica, is set to begin commercial operations after receiving approval from the National Council of Concessions (CNC).
Expected to be fully operational in February 2019, new permission from the CNC will enable the transfer of all commercial container ships currently serviced at Puerto Limón and Puerto Moín to the MCT.
Before the transfer can take place, APM Terminals must complete the dock’s first phase of construction, which includes two berths and 40 hectares of artificial island.
In addition to this, APM Terminals has carried out rigorous training with test ships to ensure that operations are safe and efficient.
Enrique Piqueras, of APM Terminals, discusses the Cartagena Container Terminal in a recent Port Technology technical paper
The first vessel to call at the terminal, on October 27, 2018, was the CAP BEATRICE, which will be followed by Hamburg Süd’s Polar México containership in the next few days.
Kenneth Waugh, Managing Director of APM Terminals Moín, said: “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.
“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.”
Once the MCT is operational, Costa Rica is projected to become Latin America’s port leader.