As reported by Alphaliner, the court of Ipojuca (eastern Brazil) granted APM Terminals (APMT) the purchase of a plot of land in the port of Suape, a satellite gateway for the Greater Recife metropolitan area in the state of Pernambuco , in northeastern Brazil.

In June, APMT bid at least BRL 895 million (USD 171 million) to acquire parts of the former Estaleiro Atlantico Sul (EAS) shipyard site, with the aim of converting the land into a multipurpose cargo and container terminal.

Maersk’s sister company plans to invest up to BRL 2.6 BN (USD 503M) in a new terminal with an expected initial capacity of 0.4 Mteu per year. Provided all regulatory approvals have been obtained, after a 24-month construction time, APMT expects the terminal to be fully operational by the end of 2025.

Suape already has a container terminal, the ‘Tecon 1’ operated by ICTSI with a quay length of 930 m and a design capacity of around 0.75 Mteu per year. Tecon’s main users are Maersk’s Brazilian subsidiary Alianca and CMA CGM’s Brazilian national airline Mercosul Line.

“Suape has great growth potential and our vision is to invest in a terminal that will add additional growth opportunities for the northeast region of Brazil. We believe that increased competition in the region will generate value for exporters/importers and attract new cargo flows, which will help the Port of Suape grow at a faster rate,” said Leo Huisman, APM Terminals General Director for the Americas region.

“We expect the market to benefit from the additional capacity, which could make Suape a “hub” for the Northeast, simultaneously generating up to 338 direct and 1,300 indirect jobs, increasing competitiveness and potentially attracting new direct services to the Far East. East and Europe”, said Leonardo Levy, Growth Manager for the Americas Region.

“APM Terminals is committed to Suape, the growth of the region and the Brazilian market. We appreciate the strong support for our project from the Pernambuco government, the local community, investors, and customers, and would like to reaffirm our commitment to investing in technology, new businesses, and further growth in the region.” Santi Casciano, Head of Growth for the Americas Region.

Source: Alphaliner