APM Terminals to Invest US$231 Million in Pier 5C at Port of Callao

APM Terminals Callao, operator of the North Multipurpose Terminal at the Port of Callao, will invest US$231 million in new infrastructure to expand its container handling capacity and respond to the growth of Peruvian foreign trade.

The main component of this investment will be the construction of Pier 5C, a project that is part of phase 3B of the terminal's modernization and will be 440 meters long and 16 meters deep. The completion of the new pier is scheduled for January 2028.

With these dimensions, the new pier will be able to receive large vessels with capacities exceeding 20,000 TEUs. One TEU is equivalent to the capacity of a standard 20-foot container.

With the incorporation of the new pier, the North Terminal will be prepared to handle 1.7 million TEUs per year. This capacity can also be subsequently expanded to 2.2 million TEUs annually.

The expansion aims to address the increase in import and export flows passing through Callao and generate greater capacity to receive larger vessels.

The Port of Callao is currently the main gateway for goods entering and leaving the country. Its terminals handle containers and cargo related to sectors such as mining, manufacturing, trade, agro-exports, technology, and consumer goods.

One of the investment components will be related to the cold chain, especially important for exports of fruits, vegetables, and other perishable products.

APM Terminals plans to increase reefer plugs by 25%, reaching 2,000 points.

These connections allow products to be kept at a controlled temperature while remaining in the terminal before being shipped, reducing the risk of cargo quality loss.

The expansion gains relevance in a context of growth in Peruvian agro-exports. In 2025, this sector reached a record of US$15,013 million, according to data provided by the company.

The new infrastructure will also incorporate specialized equipment to handle large vessels. These will include MalaccaMax cranes, designed to operate large ships.

The project also includes equipment for moving containers within the yards and its own station for charging electric machinery.

According to APM Terminals, these investments will allow for handling larger cargo volumes, improving vessel turnaround times, and advancing the electrification of port operations.

Currently, cargo moved from the North Terminal can reach more than 70 countries and 220 destinations. The company also states that the terminal has a direct connection between Asia and Peru with a transit time of approximately 23 days.

With the new Pier 5C, APM Terminals seeks to expand the available space to serve maritime services and create conditions to incorporate new frequencies, routes, and connections from Callao.

"The growth of Peruvian foreign trade requires that the infrastructure of the country's main port evolves at the same pace," said Francesca de los Ríos, Public Affairs and Communications Manager at APM Terminals Callao.

The investment will thus expand the capacity of the North Terminal and prepare the Port of Callao to handle larger volumes of foreign trade in the coming years.