New terminal is part of a US$177 million investment in upgrading the port's facilities
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Terminal Portuario de Manta, a subsidiary of Chilean terminal operator Agunsa Group, is to manage and develop Ecuador’s port of Manta for the next 40 years, and will invest US$177 million to improve its facilities.
Part of this US$177 million will be invested in building a new cruise passenger terminal, while the remaining funds will go towards extending the international pier by 100 metres, dredging the access channel to 12.5 metres (and then later to 14.5 metres), and purchasing cranes and other container and cargo handling equipment. Work will start this August and continue until July 2018.
Manta handled 19 cruise calls and 18,065 passengers last year, and expects to handle an increased number of calls and cruise guests in 2017. Visitors will include vessels from Fred. Olsen Cruise Line, Silversea Cruises, Holland America Line, Phoenix Reisen, Crystal Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
Based in Santiago, Chile, Agunsa also operates the cruise terminal in Valparaiso, also in Chile, and provides cargo operations at Port Everglades in Florida, US.