The operator of Callao’s South Pier estimates four to five years between the planning and commencement of the new expansion phase. This would include a new breakwater and is contingent on extending the concession.

With concession extension, DP World will allocate US$ 250 million to a toll-free foreport

DP World, the Dubai-based port operator that manages Callao’s South Pier, is already working on the next stage of growth for that terminal, just one year after inaugurating its latest expansion.

What are the timelines and what does the investment depend on?

Otto Bottger, Commercial Director for DP World in the Americas Region, explained that the company is advancing with a new phase to expand the berthing sites offered by the concessionaire. “The market reception to our Callao project has been excellent, because we have moved more than 2 million TEUs, 2.2 million TEUs, around there. We had customers for the expansion immediately,” he told PortalPortuario.

According to the specialized media, in 2025, the terminal for the first time exceeded 2 million TEUs moved in a year, a record that no other port facility in Peru had previously achieved.

With that volume, the company is already working on planning a Phase 3. According to Bottger, it would take about two years for the planning stage and another two to three years to get it up and running. “This is an existing port, a port where the expansion was just inaugurated last year, but we already need to start looking at where we are going,” he remarked.

A project tied to the concession

The Commercial Director explained that this initiative goes hand in hand with the extension of DP World’s concession over the South Pier, due to the magnitude of the works it would require: practically a new breakwater, general and access infrastructure, in addition to the expansion of the berths.

“An expansion of that scale takes decades to recover the investment; it’s not done for two years, or five, or ten,” he stated.

The executive did not specify the investment amount for Phase 3 or the current status of discussions regarding the contract extension.

Callao within the regional network

DP World operates 14 terminals on the continent, including Canada. In South America, it has a presence in Posorja (Ecuador), Paita (in a joint venture with a partner), Callao, San Antonio, and Lirquén (Chile), Buenos Aires, Santos (Brazil), and Paramaribo (Suriname).

According to Bottger, the company manages these terminals as a network, allowing it to coordinate berthing windows for the same vessel in more than one port.

In parallel, the company is expanding other facilities in the region. In Santos, it extended the pier and received two new gantry cranes, with two more on the way. In Posorja, it completed the main stages of its expansion, operates seven gantry cranes, and exceeded one million TEUs.

Additionally, in Caucedo (Dominican Republic), it is working on a next stage, while in Chile, it is in discussions with Empresa Portuaria San Antonio to extend the concession for DP World San Antonio by ten years, which expires in 2031. It is also closely monitoring upcoming terminal tenders in that country.

“It’s a difficult business, a long-term business, it requires a lot of upfront capital, and a risk is taken, so one must be careful where the chips are placed,” he concluded.

@Gestion