A new greenfield port development site on the northern Pacific coast of Mexico has been launched and identified as a long-term alternative to the southern California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Known as Sonora Port, the 1300ha facility is located in the Sonoran Desert on the coastline of the Sea of Cortez, approximately 250 miles directly south of the US-Mexico border at Nogales, Arizona. The facility is a private port, with a concession granted by the government of Mexico with no federal interventions required, or renewable time restrictions.
Bill Tadlock, management executive director at Sonora Port, said that five users have shown strong interest in the site. These include one container ship operator, one oil company tank farm user, one fertiliser manufacturer, one LNG exporter and one dry bulk material distributor.
All permits and approvals are in place for the development to commence. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been granted for the entire site and come with approval for rapid construction.
There is 3200m of ocean front available, with access to Federal Highway 15 adjacent to its land boundary and a direct rail connection.
The location is 80 miles from Hermosillo, the capital of Sonora and home to one of the largest aerospace manufacturing clusters in Mexico.
