All-Purpose Terminal Benefits Eastern Cuba

The construction of an all-purpose terminal will allow Santiago de Cuba’s port to enhance its loading and unloading activities, since that important economic enclave is going to count on cutting-edge equipment to improve the efficiency and speediness of its commercial operations.

The work is set to begin soon, after the granting of a concessional credit line to develop such project by means of an agreement inked between the governments of Cuba and the People’s Republic of China during the recent visit of Xi Jinping, president of that Asian nation.

The geographic position of Santiago’s inlet, right in the south center of Cuba’s easternmost region, make it be a privileged enclave because of the proximity to outstanding maritime routes linked to international commerce, a potential that is backed up by the presence of hundreds of vessels that sail throughout the Caribbean from or towards Panama Canal and other prominent ports in Central and South America.

The project, to the amount of 100 million dollars, envisages the creation of a new 230- meter-long pier front and the installation of high-end port cranes aimed at increasing and speeding up the services.

New roof warehouses are also going to be built, as well as outdoor areas to receive all sorts of containers, with the introduction of state-of-the-art hoisting, driving and transporting equipment and resources to provide dock services with the quality and smoothness required by today’s world trade.

The port will be linked to the rest of the country by both road and railroad, a project that includes a high-tech system of load weighing and offices with top-of-the-line communication means and other facilities.

Dredging works are going to be carried out in Santiago’s bay in an effort to reach 11 meters draft, a depth that will give the opportunity to receive up to 40,000 ton vessels.

A dredging program was developed in that pier over the past decade, in order to facilitate maneuvers with larger vessels. The project included the inner canal, maneuver dock, secondary canals and breakwaters, and the work is going to be broadened with the new port objective.

Santiago’s bay harbors numerous industries with great impact in the national economy, that’s the case of the cement factory, an oil refinery, two shipyards, wheat mills, one cold store for fish, as well as other port facilities linked to the railroad system.

The all-purpose terminal will allow, especially the easternmost provinces, to reduce the costs in terms of freightage for imports and exports, cabotage operations, create new jobs and generate other socio-economic benefits for eastern Cuba.