Mexican government to spend $1.6bn on modernising six ports

The six ports are:

• Port of Ensenada with an investment of 5.7 billion pesos (US$283.7 million) to expand the dock by 450-550 metres with a depth of up to 17 metres, and the construction of a Maritime Traffic Control Centre;
• The ports of Manzanillo and Nuevo Manzanillo with an investment of 13.6 billion pesos (US$671 million). Work at Manzanillo San Pedrito will involve the construction of a yard for empty containers, a dock, and a fishing dock. At New Manzanillo, there will be the construction of two hydrocarbon terminals, a yard for container storage, a specialised dock for the deep-sea fishing industry, four container terminals and expanded customs facilities;
• Lázaro Cárdenas Port with an investment of 6.1 billion pesos (US$303.5 million) to double its capacity with the development of La Palma Island, customs facilities, and the reorganisation of existing roads as well as the construction of new ones;
• Port of Acapulco with an investment of 386 million pesos (US$19 million) for the maintenance of the multipurpose dock, as well as its extension, and the rehabilitation of the vehicle terminal;
• Port of Veracruz with an investment of 1.8 billion pesos (US$88.9 million) for the construction of the eastern breakwater;
• Puerto Progreso with an investment of 5.2 billion pesos (US$256.8 million) of state and private funds to make it the most important port on the Yucatan peninsula. Work will involve building new terminals for bulk minerals, vehicles, liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, and shipyards.

The secretary of the navy, Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, explained that the modernisation of the ports is intended to increase their capacity to receive cruise ships and load containers.