Danish firm Maersk has expressed interest in participating in the bidding process for the second container-specialised terminal (TEC) project for Mexico's Lázaro Cárdenas port in southwestern Michoacán state.
However, in order to participate, the process must be transparent, fair and balanced to prevent conflicts that have affected previous concessions at Lázaro Cárdenas, Maersk head of operations Arturo Montero was quoted as saying.
Montero said it was time for a new player at the port, referring to the presence of Chinese-multinational firm Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH).
HPH opened the first US$244 million TEC at Lázaro Cárdenas in November 2007. The terminal includes a 600m dock, a 48ha yard area and a 7,000 sq m container freight station. Currently only 350m of the dock is operational, with the remaining 250m slated for completion in April.
Hutchison built the new facility under a 30-year concession on land received from Lázaro Cárdenas port authority APILAC. The concession can be extended for another 20 years.
Scheduled to start operations in 2012, a second TEC and its consequent increase in cargo traffic would result in improved services and more competitive tariffs for users.