Progreso’s Port of Progreso will be enlarged to increase exports

Also, the arrival of more cruise ships and the supply of natural gas will be sought.

MÉRIDA, Yucatán (Times Media Mexico).- In order to carry out the expansion of the Port of Progreso, a historic event that has been pursued for 10 years, the State Government and the Integral Port Administration (API) of Progreso signed a collaboration agreement.

Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal and the director of API Progreso, Jorge Carlos Tobilla Rodríguez, signed the agreement, with the head of the Ministry of the Navy (Semar), José Rafael Ojeda Durán, as witness.

At the event, held at API Progreso’s facilities, it was explained that the project will be carried out in coordination with the private sector.

In the last 10 years, the Port of Progreso has maintained a growth in port traffic, from height movements, import, export and cabotage, so it requires an expansion and modernization, since the official draft of 9.75 meters (32 feet) of Progreso, causes that this port is out of step with the trend of the shipping industry.

This is due to the fact that the vessels that predominate in the maritime trade routes that operate in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast require a minimum draft of 12 meters (40 feet) today, but considering that the size of the ships is constantly growing, the ideal would be to make it 15 meters deep (50 feet).

As part of the project, the draft will be increased, as well as the width of the navigation channel, the navigation dock and navigable interior areas. It will also increase the capacity of the navigation channel through the development of a new platform for the establishment and/or expansion of terminals for the operation of current and new activities. The plan is expected to be ready by November 2023.

In the first stage, this plan would start with the expansion of 40 hectares, of a project that could reach up to 120 hectares, but that will depend on various studies. It is important to remember that Isla Cervera currently has 32 hectares, but this project contemplates the expansion of 40 hectares in its first stage, that is to say, it will be larger than the one that currently exists.

With these actions it will be possible to handle merchandise and implement business models that were not possible before, such as natural gas or automobiles, and larger cruise ships will be able to arrive, releasing Yucatan’s potential to scale its logistics, export manufacturing and tourism sectors.