BajaNews
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New Baja port may be up to next president
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/mexico/tijuana/20051214-9...
By Diane Lindquist
December 14, 2005
The leader of an Ensenada citizens group predicted yesterday that Mexico's next president will undertake the development of a major West Coast port in
Baja California because of widespread support for the project.
Speaking to members of the San Diego World Trade Center, Antonio Mart?nez Pastor said the construction of a deep-water port and rail line at Punta
Colonet south of Ensenada would relieve congestion at ports along North America's West Coast and boost economic development in Baja California.
"There's a new Mexico," Mart?nez said in comments after his talk at the University Club in downtown San Diego. "The bottom is now making a lot of
pressure on the top."
While his citizens group Vida Ensenadense and corporate shipping interests are eager to see the port built, the decision on whether to proceed likely
will depend on whoever wins Mexico's presidential election in July.
The current administration of President Vicente Fox has expressed support for the concept, but might not be able to start the process before a new
president takes over.
"They are working on a plan, but nobody (locally) knows what it is," Mart?nez said.
Vida Ensenadense was the first to suggest locating a new port at Punta Colonet after the Mexican federal government proposed floating a bid for
development of a rail line from the port of Ensenada to the U.S. border.
Mart?nez said the rail line would change the tourism orientation of Ensenada's economy to one based on the port and industry.
The group, which includes mainly Ensenada business and civic leaders, is interested in preserving Ensenada's character by putting a new port 75 miles,
or two hours, to the south.
"The benefits as they were presented were not very much for the community," he said.
After conducting a study, Vida Ensenadense came up with the Punta Colonet alternative.
If the plan succeeds, Punta Colonet's expansive cove and about 13,000 adjacent acres would become a major maritime transportation and energy center.
Cargo would arrive from across the Pacific Rim and be shipped by rail to the interiors of Mexico and the United States.
Private companies would develop the project in return for multiyear operating contracts.
Mart?nez said one corporation is willing to invest $2 billion to develop the port, and others are interested as well.
An energy company has signed a letter of intent to build a $500 million, 600-megawatt electric generating plant. And the group hopes that a liquefied
natural gas receiving terminal will be another part of the development.
"If we have something like that, we will be participating in the Pacific Rim," he said.
The group has asked Mexican federal officials to develop a master plan for the project, budget money for studies and create a legal framework that
would set aside the land for development of the port and the rail line.
"We think that part will move kind of slow," Mart?nez said.
At best, the project could take shape within seven or eight years, he said.
"At this moment, it depends on the government."
[Edited on 2-19-2006 by BajaNews]
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DanO
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Posts: 1923
Registered: 8-26-2003
Location: Not far from the Pacific
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LNG terminal
Sources tell me that the LNG component of this project is being planned for Puerto Santo Tomas. The plan is to build the plant on the flat areas just
to the south of the port and run pipeline out to a mooring area for LNG tankers. Corporate and government interests on both sides of the border are
apparently pushing it, but it's opposed by local landowners, fishermen, and conservation groups.
On another development-related note for that area, the two tuna rings they had off of Puerto Santo Tomas apparently couldn't handle the conditions.
They broke up and washed ashore, and there doesn't seem to be any interest in replacing them.
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