When the terminal works with that capacity, it will already have generated 1.4 kilometers of dock to the west of the concession area and a 60-hectare container beach, in addition to the remodeling of the breakwater Sarandi. These two works will allow it to receive four 14-meter-deep container ships simultaneously and will mean the creation of 1,500 direct jobsin addition to the indirect ones.
Although the primary investment estimated was 455 million dollars, today the calculation of the figures rises to more than 600 million dollars, partly due to the incorporation of the cold ironing system, which provides power to container ships and eliminates pollution from permanent combustion engines. The system energizes the ship and the entire container refrigeration system with the engines off.
A “milestone” work
In addition to Lacalle Pou, the presentation was attended by the Minister of Transport and Public Works (MTOP), Jose Luis Faleroand the president of the ANP, Juan Curbeloamong other authorities. They also came from Belgium he CEO by Katoen Natie, Fernando huts, and the president of TCP, Karl Huts.
Falero, for his part, described the work as “a milestone”, and stated that “it has become clear” the “direction that the government had for the port of Montevideo”, with commercial activity and also with “the opening to the world” of Uruguayan products.
The president, during his speech, preferred to recall the times when the Belgian multinational was about to withdraw from the country, because cooperation was exchanged for conflict, according to the president.
In this context, Lacalle Pou recalled that he met the Huts family, owner of Katoen Natie, when he was a senator for the National Party, “two or three years before the election”. It was in a meeting requested by the president and there began the dialogue between the parties. He agreement between the government and the company would finally materialize during his tenure.
“We are confident that this investment is not only good, it will bring work, it will help the productive Uruguaybut rather that we can, as we like in this uncertain world, have the confidence and certainty of looking at the long term”, concluded Lacalle Pou in his speech.
Source: Ambito
