APM Terminals’ Moin Container Terminal (MCT) in Costa Rica has been granted permission by the National Council of Concessions (CNC) to start commercial operations at its first deep-sea berth.
This is a key step for the terminal, which is on schedule to be fully operational in February 2019, said APM in its latest announcement.
The first ship to arrive at the terminal on October 27 was Cap Beatrice, to be followed this week by Hamburg Süd’s 3,947 TEU Polar México arriving from Panama. 70% of the cargo loaded onto the ship will consist of bananas and pineapples, destined for Northern Europe.
“ The authorization from CNC to start receiving commercial vessels, represents a significant step change in maritime cargo handling logistics in Costa Rica and a huge leap towards improving national competitiveness,” said Kenneth Waugh, Managing Director of APM Terminals Moin.
“Thanks to the Moin Container Terminal, we will no longer be a port for small boats that require merchandise to be transferred to reach their final destination, but a port that is able to receive today’s largest container ships with direct connections and reliable intermodal links to key markets.”
MCT is built on an artificial island off the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Once completed, the terminal will cover around 80 hectares with a 1,500-meter quay and a depth of 16 meters. The access channel is 18-meters deep.