APM wins legal battle for Costa Rican project
APM Terminals has won a legal battle to build a container dock in the Costa Rican port of Moin, reported IHS Global Insight.
The Costa Rican government originally signed a contract with the company on August 30 for the construction and management of the facility in the Caribbean port. However, Costa Rica's dockers' union filed an appeal with the country's Administrative Court over concerns regarding the government's privatisation of port services.
The court's rejection of the appeal in this case brings the construction of the dock one step closer. The new dock will comprise a breakwater of 2.5 km, six berths, and 13 cranes, and will have a capacity to service post-Panamax vessels, which hold up to 12,000 containers.
President Laura Chinchilla announced that the construction and subsequent operation of the new port would generate in the region of 2,000 jobs directly, as well as 8,000 jobs indirectly.
The development is scheduled to begin operation in 2016.
Despite the court ruling, this is unlikely to be the end of the saga surrounding the new container dock in Moin, and further legal challenges to the project are anticipated.
Port unions are still fervently opposed, arguing that there are already a number of state-run ports in Moin and that these should be improved before looking for new-build investments.
Similarly, the business sector is critical of awarding the contract to a foreign firm, as well as contending that employing a private firm will drive up port fees.
The Costa Rican government originally signed a contract with the company on August 30 for the construction and management of the facility in the Caribbean port. However, Costa Rica's dockers' union filed an appeal with the country's Administrative Court over concerns regarding the government's privatisation of port services.
The court's rejection of the appeal in this case brings the construction of the dock one step closer. The new dock will comprise a breakwater of 2.5 km, six berths, and 13 cranes, and will have a capacity to service post-Panamax vessels, which hold up to 12,000 containers.
President Laura Chinchilla announced that the construction and subsequent operation of the new port would generate in the region of 2,000 jobs directly, as well as 8,000 jobs indirectly.
The development is scheduled to begin operation in 2016.
Despite the court ruling, this is unlikely to be the end of the saga surrounding the new container dock in Moin, and further legal challenges to the project are anticipated.
Port unions are still fervently opposed, arguing that there are already a number of state-run ports in Moin and that these should be improved before looking for new-build investments.
Similarly, the business sector is critical of awarding the contract to a foreign firm, as well as contending that employing a private firm will drive up port fees.