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All systems go for Montevideo?
at least 20%-22% over the next
few years for Montevideo.
However, TCP forecasts lower
10%-12% increases. TCP ac-
Uruguay’s Administración 421,000 TEU in 2008 (+10% on pected to throw their hats into the 100 years. TCP claims that there knowledges that containerised
Nacional de Puertos (ANP) 2007), of which 55% were tran- ring at a later date, including, per- is sufficient competition in the cargo grew by an average 15% per
wants to push through Parlia- shipment moves. TCP has been haps, rising Brazilian star Santos port today, from Montecon, but year in the 2001-2006 period, but
ment a bill that will allow for drawing in containerised cargo, Brasil, South America’s biggest Montecon is twice as slow and the argues that this is not sustainable
a new tender for another dedi- and especially reefer cargo from container terminal operator. 40% share that TCP has today will over the next 10-12 years.
cated container terminal in the south of Argentina (mostly Puntigliano, who has power- rise to nearer 80% once its new “Based on our projections we
the country’s capital port. from Maersk Line and aided and ful political allies in the Uruguayan works are completed and new won’t need any further capacity
The US$200M project for a abetted by strict flag reservation government, wants Montevideo gantry cranes are installed.” in Montevideo until after 2015,”
new terminal is strongly opposed rules in Argentina), from the south to be able to handle the next gen- Puntigliano is a man with a says TCP’s president Joris Thys.
by existing container terminal of Brazil, and also from interior eration of container ships due to reputation for getting things done. “Recent events in the interna-
operator Terminal Cuenca de la states of Brazil, such as Mato arrive in the historic port, with He worked in Germany for Mann tional trade arena back us up even
Fernando Puntigliano, (above) the
Plata (TCP), part of Belgium’s Grosso, where new barge links are vessels of 6000-8000 TEU capac- on the Airbus A380 for many years further. We also believe that there
influential president of ANP, is leading
Katoen Natie, which says such a creating a new transport matrix. ity expected in the next year or and is a qualified naval architect, is already sufficient competititon the charge for a new container terminal,
move would break the existing For example, chicken and beef so. The aim is to carve out more specialising in hydro-dyanamics. here in Montevideo, with but TCP’s president Joris Thys says the
agreement signed between it and exporters from Mato Grosso do space close to the existing public He argues that ANP’s studies reveal a Montecon. We also face competi-
existing expansion plan is sufficient for
ANP back in the middle of 2001. Sul - some 1500 km away - have terminals (near Docks C and D), crunch period in the 2012-2016 pe- tion from Buenos Aires and, es-
the medium term. (Photos: Rob Ward)
But Fernando Puntigliano, the been ramping up export volumes or alternatively use a “greenfield” riod. Given the slow pace of bureauc- pecially for transhipment, from
president of ANP, has been pro- through TCP, after transporting site across the bay at Capura. racy, the time to act is now. Rio Grande do Sul and maybe
moting the Master Plan for an- the frozen meat via the Paraná and “The structure for the present- “I want the process to begin even from Portonave [Itajaí].”
other terminal to complement the Uruguay Rivers from the land- day port was laid down more than now so that within a year or so
existing TCP facility and the locked state. 100 years ago,” said Puntigliano. we get to a point where decisions Deal breaker
Montecon operation. The latter “Our forefathers were visionaries are taken. Then if you add on the TCP also claims that a new spe-
handles around 35-40% of all port Names in the frame and they decided to build berths construction time, the second spe- cialised terminal would break the
movement using the public berths Some big names, such as with 10m drafts, despite the norm cialised container terminal will be terms of its 30-year concession
in Montevideo, mostly consign- Hutchison, APM Terminals, DP at the time being around 3-4m. ready soon after 2012.” signed in July 2001 with ANP and
ees seeking a cheaper, but slower, World, ICTSI, PSA and Chile’s Throughout the 20th century this uguayan government. TCP
operation and service. Ultramar, which already has a has gave us a huge advantage over Different forecasts
the Ur
paid US$17.1M for an 80% share
In total Montevideo handled major stake in Montecon, previ- Buenos Aires, and it still does. In terms of future container flows in the existing facility, Ironically,
around 700,000 TEU last year, ously expressed interest in the new “Now we have to plan and put ANP, using figures from UN- ANP owns the other 20% share.
with TCP accounting for around project. More developers are ex- in place a structure for the next ECLAC in Chile, forecasts rises of Thys believes that TCP’s cur-
rent expansion project plus an-
other landfill exercise that will see
the terminal operating on 59 hec-
tares of land over the next few Meanwhile, Alejandro
years, with depths alongside of Garostidi, the general manager for
14.5m, as opposed to today’s Montecon, believes that Monte-
10.5m, will raise its handling ca- video is “turning business away
pacity to an eventual 1.6M TEU. because of a lack of capacity. As
“This will be more than noted, Chilean stevedoring com-
enough capacity to see Montevi- pany Ultramar (part of Von Appen
deo through to at least 2015, and group) has a major share in
maybe even to 2020,” he stated. Montecon, and is also understood
“It will also enable us to cope with to be the leading shareholder in
vessels up to 6300 TEU. long-established Uruguayan ship-
“We have shown our faith in ping agency, Schandy.
Montevideo and believe that the Garostidi said: “A series of
larger vessels calling at the port strikes in Brazil last year saw ves-
will be better served by one ter- sels skip Brazilian ports and head
minal rather than two. Our invest- south, but many were told we had
ments show that we can fulfil the no space to accommodate them.
function of a regional hub.” This set the alarm bells ringing
If the government insists on and that is why we need a second
going ahead with the new master [dedicated] container terminal.” To
plan, he added, then the existing add credibility, Montecon recently
agreement needs to be re-negoti- signed a co-operation agreement
ated. He stressed that Katoen with HHLA and the German
Natie is prepared to present its case company has taken a 5% stake.
before an independent arbitration
process, maybe international arbi- In progress
tration with Uruguayan lawyers. But it is not hard to understand
Citing studies undertaken by TCP’s frustration. The facility is
Drewry, Global Insight and (spe- undergoing a US$120M expan-
cifically for TCP) by Laura Palmer, sion plan that involves lengthen-
Thys thinks the best time to build ing its berthing line from 288m
a new terminal would be between to 638m long and growing its
2015 and 2020. He believes that overall area from 17.2 hectares to
ANP is under-estimating the fi- 28.7 hectares. TCP signed a con-
nal capacity of TCP after all the tract with Bachy (France) and
existing round of expansion works SACEEM (of Uruguay) to design
is completed, and is ignoring the and build the 350m extension
fact that transhipment involves back in May 2006.
two moves rather than one. Four new superpost-Panamax
cranes (60m outreach) from
A big challenge ZPMC are due to arrive this Sep-
Katoen Natie would be particu- tember, as part of a US$60M in-
larly displeased if APM Terminals vestment that includes new strad-
were to secure the right to oper- dle carriers and back-up systems.
ate a new container facility as To handle the increase of reefer
Maersk Line is TCP’s biggest cus- transhipment cargo, TCP has re-
tomer by far. But Soren Sjostrand cently installed an extra 300 reefer
Jakobsen, APMT’s vice president, plugs bringing the total to 1652,
Central and South America, has more than any other single facil-
underlined just that possibility. ity on the ECSA range.
“We are definitely interested Thys says the new quay area
in the new container terminal for and the first phase of the expan-
Montevideo,” he said. “We believe sion plan will be completed at
that in future more operators will about the same time. By the end
tranship into the Argentine capi- of this year TCP should have eight
tal from other ports such as Mon- quayside cranes operating, and will
tevideo and Rio Grande, maybe be well on its way to becoming a
even from Navegantes or Itapoá. regional hub.
“Hamburg Süd is bringing in “We have invested a lot of
bigger vessels and there are more money and resources in Monte-
feeder services starting up (such video,” said Thys, “and yet now we
as that by MSC from Rosario to are uncertain about the future. We
Portonave), so Montevideo can have stuck to the contract and
only grow in importance.” carried out improvements ahead
Currently, APMT has opera- of the schedule. The original con-
tions in BA and the Brazilian ports tact said we should be a special-
of Itajaí in the south and Pecem ised container terminal and that
in the north east, but has expressed Montevideo should become a hub
several times a desire to increase port and we are doing everything
its portfolio in the ECSA. to make that happen.” a74
22 January 2009
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