After six months of design and tendering process, the contract has been awarded to Jan De Nul Group and Saipem. With this contract, a major step forward has been taken to transform PSA’s terminal in Panama into a 2 million TEU facility.

Today, the PSA terminal, located on the western bank of the Panama Canal’s Pacific entrance, has a 450,000 TEU capacity and opened for business in 2010. It currently offers 330-meter of berthing served by three quay cranes and nine yard cranes.

This new expansion was approved by Panama’s National Assembly earlier this year and is scheduled to be operational in the first half of 2017. It comprises the dredging and excavation of approximately 4 million m³ of material to a depth of 16.3 m, as well as the construction of an 800-meter quay wall. The dredging works will be executed by Jan De Nul Group. The quay wall extension is awarded to the Joint Venture Jan De Nul-Saipem. When fully operational, PSA Panama will be able to handle two mega ships simultaneously.

“Jan De Nul and Saipem have completed several major construction projects in Latin America, making this combined expertise a great added value to build a more robust terminal infrastructure in Panama”, said Alessandro Cassinelli, PSA Panama General Manager.

New container handling equipment will include eight new quay cranes for super-post-Panamax vessels as well as 12 rail mounted gantries. The contract will generate an estimated 1,000 jobs during the two years of construction, and at least 400 additional long term jobs for operation of the expanded terminal.

Lindley BR, an affiliate company of Lindley Portugal, will focus its activity in the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of floating equipment, aids to navigation and port equipment.

The activity of the Grupo Lindley in Brazil began in 2012 with a partnership with BR Marinas for the design and construction of several floating pontoons intended to create more berths in marinas developed for that Brazilian company.

Since then, several projects have been developed, currently standing out the redevelopment of Marina da Gloria in Rio de Janeiro. Besides this project, floating pontoons were installed in Bracuhy and Ribeira (Angra dos Reis – RJ), Itajaí (SC) for Constructora Viseu company and some private piers.

In addition, the company has also been providing buoys and lanterns to aids to navigation for some customers of the area.

Dr Elgioshy had previously attended the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) executive council elections in London. While at the UK’s largest container port the minister held talks with HPH executives and visited the CSCL Globe,
one of the world’s largest container ships.

Commenting on the visit, Clemence Cheng, Chief Executive Officer of the Port of Felixstowe and Managing Director of HPH Europe Division, said: “We were delighted to welcome Dr Elgioshy to the Port of Felixstowe and to congratulate him on Egypt’s appointment to the IMO Executive Council. While he was at the port we were able to show him some of the recent investments we have made at Felixstowe to increase capacity and the service we offer our customers.”

Darrius Teo, Managing Director of Alexandria International Container Terminal, who was also present during the visit, added: “HPH has operated the Alexandria International Container Terminal in Egypt since 2005 when we were the first foreign investor in the port. Since our arrival container throughput in Alexandria has more than doubled to over 2 million TEU per annum and we look forward to continuing to work with the Egyptian authorities to help grow further the country’s maritime system.”

HPH is the world’s largest port operator with interests in 52 countries including the UK and Egypt.

As well as investing in Alexandria International Container Terminal (AICT), HPH has supported a number of community projects in the area. These include educational programmes, social-service projects, medical initiatives, environmental-protection efforts and sponsoring the Al Bitash Primary School and the Al Amal Association for Orphans Care.

AICT operates two fully integrated container terminals at Egypt’s main commercial ports of Alexandria port and EL Dekheila port. Both ports are located on the Mediterranean Sea and support growing local and international trade in theregion as Egypt expands its industrial base. AICT is a joint venture between  Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH), Alexandria Port Authority (APA) and two other minority shareholders. HPH has exclusive control and management of AICT.

His duties include planning, developing, and implementing the port’s maritime trade and real estate business development efforts. He will be involved in the strategic planning process, customer service, relationship management and marketing the port’s services.

Grossgart comes to the port with more than 18 years of maritime industry experience, having worked for Swire Shipping as line manager for the West Coast North America service / country manager North America and at Marine Terminals Corp. / Ports America, where he last served as VP-Sales for the USWC (Bulk, Breakbulk, and Military Division).

A U.C. Davis graduate with a BS in Managerial Economics and a MBA in finance from Golden Gate University, he enjoys coaching several youth teams (basketball, baseball, soccer, and football), as well as volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House, and other worthy organizations.

Located 75 nautical miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, the Port of Stockton is serviced by the Stockton Deepwater Ship Channel with a project depth of 35 feet MLLW. With 15 berths covering more than 11,000 lineal feet and more than four miles of on-dock rail, the Port of Stockton is well suited to handle dry bulk, liquid bulk and breakbulk cargoes.