Chile Seaports Expansion Projects and Concessions

Chile has state-owned ports, private ports open to public use, and private ports for private use, which are mostly terminals used by the mining sector. State ports are governed by Law 19.542, and private ports, whether for public or private use, are governed by decree 340 from 1960, which is the instrument that grants maritime concessions to build ports. In Latin America, Chilean ports have above average efficiency indicators for the region.

Chile has ten autonomous state-owned port companies. The State Port Modernization Law establishes that stevedoring, unstowing, and cargo handling in port areas must be carried out by private companies through a concession for each berth through open bids, which may not exceed 30 years. Two major concessions are ending in the Valparaiso Region: San Antonio Terminal International (STI) in 2025, and Terminal 2 Valparaiso in 2026.

Port Expansion

The Chilean government has identified the Outer Port in San Antonio (Puerto Exterior) and Terminal 2 of the Port of Valparaíso as the most critical port projects.

The Puerto Exterior expansion project stems from of a presidential announcement in January 2018.  The initial estimated investment is $2.3 billion. The objective of the expansion is to provide additional capacity through an offshore port expansion, which will provide two large berthing fronts approximately 1.5 kilometers long, with a transfer capacity of approximately three million TEUs each. The plans also include constructing a transfer lane for the crane rails, building the seawall, and developing the logistics area. The San Antonio Port Company (EPSA) is still conducting an environmental impact study and preparing the technical foundations for the project. EPSA, the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications (MTT), and other public organizations in the National Commission for Logistics Development are coordinating the fundamental definitions of the call for bids for the construction and operation of the first of the two terminals. 

The Port of Valparaíso is also in the process of developing its Terminal 2 project and submitting required documentation to Chilean authorities in 2022 to initiate a competitive international bidding process. This project will add one million TEUs of capacity by 2030 and the estimated investment is $500 million. Once the expansion is completed, Terminal 2 will allow the ports of the Fifth Region to maintain adequate levels of occupancy while the San Antonio outer port is being built.

Port Logistics

The MTT has also expressed interest in developing a set of full-spectrum logistics services to support ports, which it refers to as the Large-Scale Logistics Network (RLGE). The RLGE will include port, road, rail, and land logistics infrastructure resources; transportation and cargo handling equipment; information and communication systems; human resources; and processes designed to support efficient and safe cargo transportation between cargo ports in central Chile. This MTT plan creates opportunities for U.S. businesses looking to compete for small and large-scale projects.   

For more information, contact U.S. Commercial Service Chile Commercial Assistant Ana Keener