US$120mn Coquimbo port expansion gets environmental nod

Environmental evaluation service SEA approved the US$120mn modernization of Chile’s Coquimbo port, nearly three years after the environmental impact study (EIS) was submitted.

The CEO of port operator EPCO, Aldo Signorelli, told Portal Portuario that the new installations are expected to start operations in 2022 and that the expansion will be “relevant for the local economy in times of crisis,” also referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Works entail building a 1.7ha multi-purpose dock with two docking positions, a 1.5ha vehicle circulation area and repairs to the existing two docking areas, according to the EIS.

The new docks will be able to facilitate ships of up to 366m and handle 750,000t of cargo during the first year of operations, which would rise to 1.5Mt over 25 years.

Signorelli said this is the largest project in Coquimbo region to be carried out by a public firm through a concessionaire, which is TPC.