• 3 min de lectura
• 3 min de lectura
Between 2016 and 2026, since the commissioning of the main berth front of Terminal 1 of the Port of Valparaíso, Terminal Pacífico Sur (TPS) has served more than 4,300 vessels and moved 84 million tons of cargo, mainly in containers.
In 2016, after several months of work, TPS completed the construction of the extension, a project known in maritime and port activity as "the 120 meters," which increased the pier's length from 620 meters to 740 meters, allowing two Post-Panamax type vessels to be served simultaneously.
The expansion was, according to the company, key to maintaining the port competitiveness of Valparaíso, as by 2016, TPS had begun to receive vessels over 300 meters in length, making a longer pier essential to add capacity, efficiency, and competitiveness to the port.
Globally, ships continued to grow in size and capacity to concentrate larger volumes of cargo. Currently, TPS receives vessels over 360 meters long with a capacity of more than 13,000 TEU, thanks to having the necessary infrastructure.
Thus, the total berthing front of Terminal Pacífico Sur currently reaches 1,006 meters: 740 on the main pier, where Berths 1, 2, and 3 are located; and 266 on the secondary pier, which includes Berths 4 and 5.
Throughout the entire construction, which lasted over a year and concluded in 2016, the terminal maintained continuous operation. The construction technique used involved installing piles and then building beams and a slab that make up the pier.
In addition to the berth front expansion works, deepening dredging of the operational draft was included, allowing its depth to increase from 12 to 14.1 meters, in line with the requirements and dimensions of Post-Panamax vessels.
Cristian Rodríguez, General Manager of TPS, commented that "this year we indeed celebrate a decade since the extension of the main Berth Front, which is the most important port infrastructure project in the last 100 years in Valparaíso. This milestone was not isolated but was complemented by significant investments in equipment, technology, and security, with the aim of boosting the role of TPS and other actors in Valparaíso's logistics chain as a key axis for the development of Chilean foreign trade."
The total cost of the investments was almost USD 100 million and included, in addition to the pier extension, anti-seismic reinforcement and repaving of Berths 4 and 5, which improved operating conditions for passenger and horticultural cargo vessels, among others.
Regarding the equipment to operate on the expanded berth front, which represented a significant part of this project, it included the acquisition of five Super Post-Panamax quay gantry cranes, with a boom that can reach vessels up to 22 container rows wide, and three Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) yard cranes for cargo storage in the yard.
Along with this, the capacity for refrigerated container connections was increased from 1,000 to 3,000 connections, in addition to the expansion of container storage capacity.
