SOUTH AMERICA

Uruguay backtracks on TIL terminal rejection

7 years ago

Having turned down a request from MSC’s terminal arm, Terminal Investment Limited, to build a new container terminal in the Port of Montevideo, Uruguay’s National Ports Administration (ANP) has had a change of heart and has put forward an alternative plan for a different location.

Opposition-appointed ANP member Juan Curbelo, or the National Party, initially voted against the project, insisting the ANP’s technical committee reject it on practical terms.

However, ANP vice president Juan José Domínguez has now revealed that a “political decision” had been taken to accept the new multipurpose terminal project, as long as it was located in a different place.

Katoen Natie, which operates the port’s only dedicated box terminal, Terminal Cuenca del Plata, opposes the plan, since it believes it will impact negatively on its business. The company has recently been negotiating a concession extension beyond its 2031 expiry date, although its success depends on the investment it will put in.