DP World plans Phase 3 expansion of Callao's Muelle Sur alongside concession extension

DP World, operator of Callao's Muelle Sur, is working on the planning of a Phase 3 expansion of the Peruvian terminal, which would include practically a new breakwater, access infrastructure and the extension of the berths. According to Otto Bottger, the company's commercial director for the Americas region, the project depends on securing an extension of the concession DP World holds over the port, given the scale of the planned works.

Bottger estimated that the planning stage would take around two years, while execution of the works would take an additional two to three years. The executive explained that the decision to move forward responds to traffic growth: the terminal surpassed 2 million TEU handled for the first time in 2025. Meanwhile, Carlos Merino, CEO of DP World Peru and Ecuador, projected that 2026 would close with approximately 2.2 million TEU, noting that the capacity enabled after the expansion of Muelle Bicentenario, inaugurated two years ago, is now practically full.

According to Merino, DP World has submitted an investment addendum proposal to the Peruvian State that contemplates expanding the infrastructure and extending the concession term, with the goal of doubling the terminal's capacity to over 4 million TEU. The initiative is under evaluation by the Autoridad Portuaria Nacional before proceeding through other government entities, and the company expects to reach an agreement during 2027. One component of the proposal is the construction of an inland port to streamline cargo land transport, which Merino compared to the experiences of the Chilean ports of Valparaíso and San Antonio.

DP World operates 14 terminals across the Americas, including its presence in South America at Posorja (Ecuador), Paita, Callao, San Antonio and Lirquén (Chile), Buenos Aires, Santos (Brazil) and Paramaribo (Suriname). Bottger noted that the company manages these terminals as a network to coordinate berthing windows for the same vessel across different ports. At Posorja, Merino highlighted that the berth extension to 800 meters was completed in 2026, with a projected capacity of between 1.3 and 1.4 million TEU once the last crane added becomes operational.

According to an industry analysis cited by Puertos y Comercio, the Callao expansion and Posorja's growth are taking place amid a slowdown in containerized shipping demand and declining spot rates on East-West routes, which requires operators to achieve greater efficiency and capacity to adapt to larger vessels and the reconfiguration of shipping services in the region.