DUTCH-based APM Terminals (APM T) has begun the first phase of its west coast of Mexico's Lazaro Cardenas container terminal (TEC2), becoming the rival of Hong Kong's Hutchison Port Holdings facility, which is well established there.

The APM T terminal is expected to handle 1.2 million TEU by the end of the first phase of development in the first quarter 2015 at a cost of US$900 million, reported London-based Fruitnet.com

 The foundation was laid by the Mexican Federal Secretary of Communications and Transportation, Dionisio Perez-Jacome Friscione; the Governor of the Mexican State of Michoacan de Ocampo, Fausto Vallejo and senior representatives of APM Terminals, a unit of the Danish shipping giant AP Moller Group.

 APM T is to initially build two berths, each 325 metres long with 16.5 metres alongside and 43 hectare container yard. On completion it will have four berths with a 1,485-metre long quay, 102 hectares of back up large and an annual capacity of 4.1 million TEU.

 It will also build a warehouse, an on-dock rail yard, and an administration building in the first phase. The port operator will acquire five super-postpanamax shore gantry cranes, 17 eco-rubber tyre gantry cranes and 16 ship-to-shore (STS) cranes capable of handling vessels of 15,000-TEU capacity and above.

 APM T head of Lazaro Cardenas Jorgen Nielsen said: "The new terminal at Lazaro Cardenas will create tremendous opportunities for the growth of international trade and new jobs for Michoacan de Ocampo and for all of Mexico."

(Source:JOC)