APM Terminals has opened the first phase of its new facility in Mexico, which will feature an annual capacity of 1.2 million twenty-foot-equivalent containers (TEUs).
The new semi-automated container facility is known as APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas, and was funded via an investment of more than $900m.
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It includes a 750m quay with 16.5m depth that can accommodate the latest generation of ultra-large container ships, spanning an area of 49 hectares.
The facility is equipped with five intermodal rail tracks and automated gates, and received its first vessel in February, which was a Maersk ship with a 9,600TEU capacity.
APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas’ annual cargo handling capacity will increase to more than four million TEUs by 2030, upon the project's full completion.
APM Terminals chief commercial officer Henrik Pedersen said: “We are working hard to make this terminal as efficient as possible for customers.
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By GlobalData“Thanks to its semi-automated processes, APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas will offer faster turnaround times per container as well as faster intermodal transportation via its superior on-dock rail connection.
“The terminal’s strong geographic position on the coast and its connection with our inland terminal at Cuautitlan Izcalli in the industrial zone of Mexico City, ensures our customers have easy access to inland distribution centres and a consumer market of over 120 million people.”
APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas is the second terminal for APM Terminals in Mexico after APM Terminals Yucatan.
In a separate development, APM Terminals has noted that it could cease its operations in Tacoma, US, following a notification from Matson, its main customer in the region.
Matson expressed its intention not to renew the current terminal services agreement with APM Terminals after its expiration on 31 December 2017.
Image: Opening cermony of APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas in Mexico. Photo: courtesy of APM Terminals.
