Port concessions – seeking certainty and connectivity

In a panel discussion at TOC Americas in Cartagena this week executives described how investments in a new wave of port concessions in the Americas need to be matched by road and rail infrastructure on the landside, and concession contracts that provide greater certainty for investors.

With around 40% of port concessions across South America due to expire in the next ten years, together with concessions for new developments, the issue of how to provide a framework for investment that generates capacity across the wider container supply chain is a hot topic. At TOC Americas in Cartagena this week Paul Gallie, Managing Director PSL Advisors, led a panel discussion titled “What’s behind port infrastructure development? Building a maritime trade network”.

The session revealed that terminal operators and port authorities agree that the need to address landside infrastructure beyond the terminal gate is now a core part of the business case for investment in terminal infrastructure. Paulo Ruy, Senior Vice President, Commercial for Hanseatic Global Terminals, described how the focus has shifted from berths, cranes and yard capacity to support vessel handling to “access roads and the connectivity.”

This story was originally published by World Cargo News. Read the full story at World Cargo News →