Maersk Invests US$140 million in Lazaro Cardenas Port

APM Terminals, part of A.P. Møller-Mærsk, announces the start of the second phase of construction of its Specialized Container Terminal II in the Port of Lazaro Cardenas. The terminal aims to be a hub for the Americas region.

The first phase of APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas opened in 2017 as part of a US$900 million investment, making it the first semi-automated and most technologically advanced container terminal in Mexico. Following the final phase of the project, the terminals will have the capacity to handle 4.1 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). 

The US$140 million investment aims to expand the yard and increase its operational capacity, allowing it to handle more TEUs. The investment also aims to enhance the efficiency of the terminal in its over 15.7 hectares and upgrade its operating system to use Navis N4.

The project is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2026, granting the terminal  capacity for 2.2 million TEUs annually. The new phase includes new equipment to enhance port capacity, six automated rail-mounted gantry cranes, 14 new shuttle carriers and four empty handlers, as well as the introduction of several sustainable initiatives.

The project will expand the current terminal footprint to 65 hectares, including a total of seven triple electric ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, 14 automated stacking cranes and 28 automated rail-mounted gantry cranes.

Jorge Luis Cruz, General Director, Lazaro Cardenas National Port System Administration, says that the project responds to the growth of  international trade and enhances economic development of the port and the  social development of Michoacan and Mexico.

Leo Huisman, Regional Managing Director, APM Terminals Americas, says that the construction  will increase capacity, bring new equipment and add yard space that will lift the standard of efficiency at the terminal through optimized traffic flows, improving cross-border transit times. 

This project adds to the Port of Lazaro Cardenas efforts to attend to nearshoring needs through  several infrastructural investments and alliances, allowing the port to meet the increasing logistical demands brought by new investments. The port also allied with SSA Mexico to expand its capabilities.