Puerto Quetzal Container Terminal

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In April 2013, the Spanish company Terminales de Contenedores de Barcelona (TCB) was awarded in a competitive bidding process the contract to build, lease and operate the new Puerto Quetzal Container Terminal (TCQ) in Puerto Quetzal on Guatemala’s Pacific coast. As part of its 25-year concession agreement, the company committed to invest $250 million in new infrastructure. The company also agreed to pay TCB one million dollars per year and $4 per container handled for the usufruct granted. Information on the bidding criteria and on the other participants in the contest was not available. The project was structured in two phases. In phase one, the company committed to invest $120 million to build 300 metres of pier with a depth of 12.5 metres, yard area of 13 hectares, and annual throughput capacity of 340,000 TEUs. In phase two, the company established the expansion of the yard to 21 hectares, extension of the pier to 540 meters, berth deepening to 14 meters and boosting annual throughput capacity to 700,000 TEUs. In March 2014, the IFC approved a financing package for the first phase of the project: US$ 35 million A-loan and a US$ 9.7 million in equity. Construction works commenced in August 2014, and operations were set to begin in 2015. In December 2015, APM Terminals acquired Grup Maritim TCB in a transaction valued at US$ 1 billion.