Official responsibility for the administration and management of Terminal Muelle Norte, (the North Terminal) at the Port of Callao, Peru, was assumed by APM Terminals in a ceremony held on July 1 in Callao.
The concession contract finalised on May 12 called for APM Terminals to assume operational control of the terminal within 60 days of signing the concession agreement. On May 1 the Government of Peru had named APM Terminals Callao the winner of the bidding process. The terms of the concession include the investment of US$749 million to update and expand the existing facility into a modern multi-purpose terminal serving general, Ro-Ro, break bulk and containerised cargos as well as cruise ships.
Planned improvements by APM Terminals include the purchase and installation of 12 new post-Panamax STS cranes and 36 new RTGs at the terminal. Other investment, such as a new grain silo, will increase in annual capacity to 2.9 million TEU and 9.9 million tonnes of general cargo over the next decade. When built out to full capacity, APM said Terminal Muelle Norte would employ approximately 1,500 personnel. The Peruvian economy grew by 8.7 percent in 2010, for a GDP of US$277 billion, the fifth-largest economy in South America.
APM said tariff charges wouldl be reduced by 15 to 18 percent per the terms of the concession, bringing immediate cost savings to the terminal's customers.
APM Terminals also operates local cargo inland services company Almacenes de Contenedores Sudamerica (ALCONSA) in Peru, with locations in Callao and Paita. APM Terminals Callao is a joint venture between APM Terminals, Callao Port Holding, of the Netherlands, and Central Portuaria, of Peru.
