BajaNews - 2-16-2006 at 04:31 PM
http://www.bnamericas.com/story.jsp?sector=5¬icia=344...
Robin Brundell
February 16, 2006
Although port authorities in Ensenada in Mexico's Baja California state are still studying construction of a new "megaport" in the area, investments
in developing the existing port are still progressing, marketing coordinator of the port, Erick Ochoa told BNamericas.
"There is a plan to build a megaport. This is a port that would be located at Punta Colonet 70km south of Ensenada," said the port official.
"The plan would be to connect Punta Colonet with Mexicali by rail. There are approximately 400km of tracks that would have to be built," Ochoa added.
However, this project is still very much in the planning stages and so far only pre-feasibility studies have been carried out into the viability of
such an expensive and important undertaking.
In the meantime, the Ensenada port authority (API) has not been dwelling on possible future developments and has been carrying out various
improvements to facilities at the Pacific port.
"We extended the container terminal last year. Two bigger post-Panamax gantry cranes were installed and the access channel and harbor were dredged. At
the docks the depth is now 15.5m so we can receive fifth generation ships," the executive said.
The port handled 79,000 TEUs in 2005 but this year was expecting to move a total of 95,000 TEUs, which would be an increase of over 20% if the
forecast is correct, he added.
The expansion does not stop there. In addition to having purchased five new rubber-tire gantry cranes, "we have a plan for the container terminal to
extend the main dock and put in another two gantry cranes but this will not happen in the near future," Ochoa said.
This plan is unlikely to be carried out this year, added the official, as the port first has to handle larger volumes of containers to justify
increasing capacity.
2005 CARGO UP 9.5%
In 2005, Ensenada port handled 2.99 million tonnes (Mt) of cargo, up 9.5% compared to 2004, according to a transport and communications ministry (SCT)
press release.
The container traffic dealt with in Ensenada port surged by some 86.4%, climbing from 42,000 TEUs in 2004 to 79,000 TEUs last year, stated API
director general Carlos J?uregui.
"This is a record figure for us, as we almost doubled our container movements in just 12 months," J?uregui said.
The port is also a popular mooring point for cruise ships and last year an average of 22 cruises a month arrived in Ensenada, with a mean 2,213
passengers per ship.
"That means that with an average of 22 arrivals per month, some 592,981 passengers arrived - nearly 25,000 more than in 2004," said the official.
The investments carried out in Ensenada port last year reached 153mn pesos (US$14.5mn), which were spent on new works and maintenance, as well as on
an integral services center, the creation of the Ensenada-Frontera inter-modal corridor and other projects.
The API also spent 80.7mn pesos on building two breakwaters, while another 18.6mn pesos is being spent to repair docks 1 and 2. These projects will be
completed by May.
Referring to plans for 2006, the executive mentioned that more preliminary studies would be carried out towards the "megaport" project at Punta
Colonet, as well as further extensions to the Ensenada international terminal and acquisition of more land.
Ensenada harbor improvement pays off
BajaNews - 2-19-2006 at 12:14 AM
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20060218-9...
More lines sending vessels to Baja port
By Diane Lindquist
February 18, 2006
ENSENADA ? More cargo and cruise ships sailed into the port of Ensenada last year than ever before, following the deepening of its harbor and
installation of two cranes last spring and summer.
The biggest gain during 2005 was a 74.4 percent jump in containerized cargo ships, according to statistics released recently by the Mexican federal
government.
Maersk, Sealand, Hanjin Shipping, CSAV and Maruba added Ensenada to their stops as a result, port director Carlos Jaurequi Gonz?lez said at a Long
Beach maritime conference.
TMM Lines, Lykes Lines and APL ? the line whose 880-foot Panama has been grounded south of the port since Christmas ? were the only containerized
cargo lines that previously called at the port.
Most of the goods carried on the container ships are Asian parts destined for Baja California's maquiladora factories. There are 1,400 of the
manufacturing plants within the port's distribution area.
The potential for growth in containerized cargo was illuminated during the 2002 lockout at other West Coast ports, including Long Beach and Los
Angeles. The total amount of TEUs ? 20-foot equivalent units that are the standard measurement to quantify container traffic ? handled at Ensenada
that year jumped from 28,349 to 57,503. The total fell to 49,210 in 2003 and 42,394 in 2004 before soaring to 79,003 last year.
All imports rose 37 percent year-to-year, while exports rose 5 percent. Shipments to and from other Mexican ports grew nearly 2 percent.
In all, the amount of cargo handled at the port has doubled since 2000.
The growth of container cargo at the port of Ensenada has piqued interest in Mexico's plans to offer concessions to private companies to develop a
megaport about 50 miles south at Punta Colonet.
?The new port will be devoted to cargo going to the interior of the United States,? Jaurequi said. ?There is a potential for container flow from (the
congested ports at) Los Angeles and Long Beach.?
Ensenada will continue to serve the Baja California region, he said. Both ports would be under the port of Ensenada's jurisdiction.
The government plans to place the concessions up for auction as early as next month, Jaurequi said.
While containerized cargo had the biggest increase last year, it accounted for only about one-fifth of the cargo handled at the port. Bulk cargo,
especially petroleum products, made up more than two-thirds of the goods. Other goods include limestone, wheat, fertilizer, steel and livestock.
The increase in cruise ship passengers was not nearly so dramatic, rising 4.2 percent to 592,981 visitors.
While the number of cruise ship passengers is expected to remain the same or drop slightly this year, Jaurequi said, the amount of cargo is expected
to continue to climb as two more marine carriers start serving the port of Ensenada.
[Edited on 2-19-2006 by BajaNews]
abreojos - 2-19-2006 at 08:29 AM
Interesting article, but a port in Punta Colonet! Must be the same genius that drempt up the idea for a marina in Abreojos. Both would require more
money than I have seen spent on many such ideas that stll are not working. I think the tomatoes are a safe bet for awhile longer.
BajaNomad - 2-19-2006 at 08:48 AM
Here's more background on this topic for anyone interested:
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=12138
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=12144
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=14623
David K - 2-19-2006 at 08:50 AM
Punta/Cabo Colonet (Colnett) is a nice cape, but the harbor would have to be mostly artificial with miles of breakwater jetty like L.A. harbor to
enclose the bay from south swells...
I think the bigger reason is that a railroad line from Mexicali/Calexico could be built to haul out the cargo... The same route as the railroad
invisioned and started by the English at San Quintin a hundred years ago... Through Valle Trinidad/San Matias Pass.
Let's hope a railroad is built if the port is... Otherwise we will be sharing curvey Hwy. 1 with a whole lot more truckers on that road south of
Ensenada!!!
turtleandtoad - 2-19-2006 at 09:26 AM
Not to mention Hwy 2 and especially 3. It's bad enough going over the mountains on 3 without adding a couple of hundred trucks.