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The race for port capacity in Mexico is no longer measured solely in meters of dock or container movement. At Contecon Manzanillo, the focus has shifted towards specialized infrastructure, operational automation, and environmental sustainability as central pieces to sustain the growth of foreign trade from the Mexican Pacific.
The terminal, located in the port of Manzanillo, has accelerated an expansion strategy in recent years that combines new operational areas, large-scale equipment, and technological modernization, amidst a scenario where shipping companies demand greater productivity to handle increasingly larger vessels and logistics chains with less room for interruptions.
One of the most relevant moves within this strategy has been the incorporation of 60-meter high STS gantry cranes, considered the tallest in America. The arrival of this equipment began in 2024, continued during 2025, and will have new additions planned for 2026, signaling that the terminal seeks to anticipate the evolution of the international maritime market.
With this infrastructure, the terminal became the first on the continent to operate cranes of such dimensions, capable of serving vessels up to 400 meters in length, a segment that has become increasingly recurrent on transpacific routes and demands higher levels of precision and operational speed in port.
"Having reached 12 million accumulated TEUs (20-foot containers) and operating the tallest STS cranes in America confirms that our commitment to modern infrastructure and sustainable technology generates concrete results. Today we serve large-scale vessels with greater efficiency and, at the same time, reduce more than 50% of emissions from strategic equipment such as our hybrid RTGs," said José Antonio Contreras, CEO of Contecon Manzanillo.
The modernization has not been limited solely to quay cranes. During 2025, the terminal also incorporated hybrid RTG cranes and plans to add more units of this type along with new STS in the coming years. The objective is to strengthen the terminal's installed capacity, reduce operating times, and maintain international standards of safety and environmental performance.
The incorporation of hybrid technology stems from technical studies initiated in 2023 to transform part of the operational fleet under sustainability criteria. The RTGs combine high-efficiency diesel engines with lithium batteries, a configuration that allows for a reduction of more than 50% in fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, in addition to reducing maintenance-related costs.
"Having state-of-the-art facilities and machinery increases our competitiveness and directly drives the growth of foreign trade and the economic development of the country," Contreras stated.
The terminal's environmental strategy has also sought institutional support. The company has ISO 14064 Carbon Neutral certification, focused on the measurement, reduction, and compensation of polluting emissions, a topic that is gaining weight among the demands of global clients, investors, and shipping lines.
In parallel, Contecon Manzanillo maintains an aggressive physical expansion plan. Since 2023, the company has allocated more than 300 million dollars to phases 3A and 3B of growth, focused on expanding yards, docks, and specialized equipment. As part of this project, new container yards with an area of almost 12 hectares have already become operational.
The terminal's accumulated investment now reaches 900 million dollars, while phase 4 of the project is under development with new investments aimed at sustaining the projected growth in containerized cargo handling.
The results are beginning to be reflected in the volumes operated. At the beginning of 2026, the terminal reached 12 million TEUs mobilized since the start of operations, an indicator that coincides with the strengthening of its participation in the national movement of import and export containers.
During the first quarter of 2026, Contecon Manzanillo operated a total of 417,191 TEUs in import, export, and transshipment services, a volume 7.9% higher than that recorded in the same period a year earlier, according to port authority data.
Behind the expansion there is also a broader message for the Mexican port system: the growth of foreign trade and the arrival of larger capacity vessels are pressuring terminals to accelerate investments in infrastructure, digitalization, and sustainability, in an environment where the country's logistical competitiveness increasingly depends on the ability of its ports to respond efficiently to a more complex and demanding global demand.
