Speaking exclusively with Port Strategy, port authority managing director Alejandro Gochicoa pegs Altamira as the second most important Mexican Gulf port behind Veracruz and the third overall Mexican box port in terms of throughput.

Traffic at the Mexican Gulf port of Altamira has been growing at an average of 16.8% over the last decade. In  2006, total volume amounted to 10.662m tonnes, compared with the 9.296m tonnes reported for the previous year. This 14.7% increase is partially explained by the opening of the new Total/Shell LNG terminal, but also by increased imports of pet coke.

Box traffic is also inexorably increasing, with throughput of 339,000 teu representing growth of 6% on the year. Interestingly, the total Mexican container market is in the region of 2.3m teus, with Pacific ports accounting for 1.3m and Gulf ports 1m.

The existing 900 metre quay at Altamira is being lengthened by 300 metres, which will allow the two private container terminals (Infraestructura Portuaria Mexicana and Altamira Terminal Portuaria) to each have 600 metres of quay of their own. To date, these are the only two Mexican stevedoring organisations to become involved in container handling, working on 20- year concessions awarded in 1995/96. Optional 20-year extensions are built into their contracts.

“There has been a lot of discussion in Mexico over privatising the ports themselves. The first step was to bring in private terminal operators to boost efficiency and introduce more competitive pricing. I would say that this has been a success,” suggests Mr Gochicoa, who says that there is real service competition between the two stevedoring groups in Altamira, although not necessarily so much in price.

“What we see in Mexico,” he continues, “is effective competition between ports. So, for containers, we compete with Veracruz for markets in central Mexico. For our main hinterland, which is the north of Mexico, the US port of Houston is clearly a competitor. In terms of general cargo, we also have to keep an eye on Tampico and Tuxpan, as well as Brownsville in southern Texas.”

Altamira has seen a growth in vessel sizes over the last decade; the previous 2,000 teu average has now doubled in size, while it is not uncommon to get calls from 6,000 teu vessels. Available draught is in the region of 12.2 metres. Normally, two cranes are deployed per vessel, although claimed productivity of 35-38 movesper- crane-hour is astonishing, due in part, says Mr Gochicoa, to the linear nature of the quay at the port.

“We have no capacity problems at the terminal and could comfortably handle up to 800,000 teu, if demand so warranted it,” he says, adding that only 20% of potential development area has so far been used. There are around 20 regular service calls from container or general cargo vessels, with CP Ships, Hapag Lloyd, Maersk, MSC and China Shipping all clients. Virtually any line calling Houston will also continue to Veracruz and Altamira.

Box traffic is almost wholly import/export, based around the burgeoning industrial area that has sprung up adjacent to the port. The plastics industry is especially crucial, exporting up to 40% of output via the  port. While, overall, exports account for 55% of Altamira’s traffic, the balance is imports; box traffic is therefore fairly balanced, says Mr Gochicoa.

As for land connections, these are better when heading north of the port, rather than when trying to supply central Mexico. This is because rail connections from Altamira to northern Mexico and the US allow double stack container trains to operate; reflecting Mexico’s orientation as a major supplier of the US domestic market. Tunnel restrictions towards the centre of the country make double stack container train operation impossible; the result, notes Mr Gochicoa, is that central Mexico is best served by road at the moment for boxes inbound at Altamira.

“$15m of investment would probably enable the railways to open up double stack routes to the centre, but Mexican import/export traffic is focused on US and there is no desire to invest in East-West traffic at the moment when routes to the north are experiencing  traffic saturation,” he says.