Tec II to Optimize Operations in Lazaro Cardenas

Mexico’s favorable geographic position often provokes envy in global markets, with coastlines that touch both the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico’s youngest port, has proven to be among the country’s most dynamic and efficient due to its modern infrastructure, its position in the west coast and its proximity to various cities. The port attracted more than 1 million maritime containers in 2015, according to the SCT. This equates to a 5 percent increase compared to the previous year, filling more than 500,000 ships and handling 350,000 cars.

As of September 2016, the port has imported more than 217 9.5 tons, exported more than 3.5 tons and received 2.6 tons of cabotage, totaling 15.6 tons by the end of the third quarter. This year, APM Terminals will finish phase I of its Specialized Container Terminal (TEC II), which will be the first semi-automated port terminal in Latin America. The entire project is projected to cost a total of US$900 million and will double the quayside to 1,485m, will have 15 Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes and double the port’s capacity to 4.1 million TEUs (Twenty Foot Equivalent Unit) annually.

The STS cranes, along with two rail-mounted cranes for the intermodal rail facility, will receive and move Maersk Line’s Triple E class ships, which are the world’s largest. These ports have the capacity to load up to 10 containers high on the ship decks, which none of Mexico’s ports currently can. By installing these cranes, Lazaro Cardenas can attract more clients and make it more profitable for shipping lines to choose Mexico as their port of preference. Phase I will operate with seven STS cranes and is expected to add an annual throughput capacity of 1.2 million TEUs to the existing port infrastructure.

APM Terminals has a 32-year concession for the design, construction and operation of TEC 2. The project includes a 1,485m-long dock to receive ships, although phase I will be 750m long. The National Infrastructure Program’s goal is to make Mexico into an international logistics hub. With more than 78.8 percent of Mexican exports destined for the US, Mexico’s 44 trade agreements and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Mexico is the perfect place for Asian and Latin American ships to anchor. TEC II also is linked to Kansas City Southern Mexico’s Intermodal Rail, which integrates US and Mexican railroads, optimizing processes and reducing transportation times for all types of companies.