September/October – DR/LA

By Léo Siqueira

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Peru Organizes Dredging Seminar for Public Officials  
Peruvian port authority APN held a dredging seminar on August 22 and 23 in the country’s capital Lima aimed at training public officials. The event was targeted at workers of the Peruvian public sector who are involved within the nation’s National Port System (SPN). The seminar focused on several topics including the technical aspects of dredging activity the challenges the industry faces the structure of a dredging contract how to avoid common problems in dredging contracts and as risks and environmental challenges related to the activity. Entities and companies involved in the seminar included the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) of the Organization of the American States (OAS) and the Piedroba Consulting Group. Engineers Luis Prieto-Portar and Luis Prieto y Muñoz co-founder and president at Piedroba respectively were the seminar’s speakers.

Argentinian Court Investigates Work on a Dredge at Local Port of Mar de la Plata
An Argentinian court in the city of Mar del Plata in the province of Buenos Aires is investigating a dredging project performed at the port between 2008 and 2015 according to local press. The country’s Ministry of Transportation reportedly offered Argentinian courts a denunciation over the project alleging that public administration committed a fraud while hiring for the services. A local judge demanded the contracts and deals from the country’s government signed between 2008 and 2012 with state-owned shipbuilder Tandanor the local port administrator Consorcio Portuario Regional Mar del Plata (CPRMDP) and the province of Buenos Aires. Argentina’s sub-secretariat of Ports and Navigable Ways SSPVN reportedly signed a deal on August 2008 with Tandanor to repair the state-owned 259 C Mendoza dredge. Despite paying what the contract required the project wasn’t completed and demanded further investments.

Mexican City Demands Dredging at Valle de las Garzas 
The mayor of Manzanillo in the Mexican state of Colima Gabriela Benavides Cobos has demanded Mexican port authority Administración Portuaria Integral (API) to perform dredging at the Valle de las Garzas Lake as it has failed to execute such works. The Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources Semarnat in the state of Colima has reportedly documented the degradation of the lake. The mayor said the city can’t dredge the lake on its own arguing it’s working on a limited budget. Cobos admitted as a mayor she can’t directly demand API to dredge the lake however Semarnat has the power to do so. API said it would dredge the lake by the first quarter (Q1) of next year.

Cormagdalena Developing Studies to Deepen Access Channel of the Port of Barranquilla
Colombia’s river management authority Cormagdalena will develop studies for improving and deepening the access channels of the country’s Port of Barranquilla located in the city of same name in the state of Atlantico it said. Cormagdalena said it has established a technical working group along with the country’s National Institute of Roads (INVIAS) to perform specific research for the facility. The Colombian river management authority said it had also created a committee which will meet once a month in order to follow-up on the proposed studies. The committee hopes to anticipate any events or occurrences that may have an impact on the Magdalena River the country’s major river basin. 

Port of Antwerp International (PAI) Invests $10 Million USD in Brazil’s Port of Açu
Port of Antwerp’s subsidiary Port of Antwerp International (PAI) said in late July it will invest $10 million USD to buy a stake at the Brazilian Port of Açu located in Sao Joao da Barra in Rio de Janeiro state. The Port of Açu is a private deep sea port for the handling of oil gas dry bulk containers and general cargo. It is owned by Prumo Logística. PAI said it will pay $10 million USD to become a partner in the port and have a seat at the company’s board. It said it may also nominate four managers for the local facility and increase its investment further after an 18-month period. “PAI a subsidiary of the Antwerp Port Authority was set up to participate and invest in overseas ports and port­ related projects in strategic regions such as Brazil as part of the port’s foreland policy. PAI chose Porto do Açu because of its strategic location near oil and gas fields and the proximity to Minas Gerais the gateway to Brazil” the company said. 

Port of Antwerp’s subsidiary will invest $10 million USD to become a partner at Brazil’s
Port of Açu seen here.