Santa Fe Reactivates Villa Constitución Terminal After Nearly 70 Years, Targets Vaca Muerta

The government of Argentina’s Santa Fe province, through the Ministry of Productive Development and the Villa Constitución Port Administration Authority (EAPVC), has awarded the operation of Terminal I to a consortium formed by Southern Silica S.R.L. and Esesa S.A.

The measure, formalized following Public Tender No. 1/2026, will bring a strategic area of more than 33,000 square meters along Argentina’s Main Navigable Waterway back into the province’s productive system. The terminal had been inactive for nearly seven decades.

The project calls for restoring the existing facilities and adding equipment for the storage, classification and dispatch of sand and aggregates. It also includes dredging work and ongoing maintenance alongside the quay and in the adjacent water area to ensure adequate navigation depths.

Villa Constitución Terminal Strengthens Santa Fe’s Logistics Strategy

Productive Development Minister Gustavo Puccini said the recovery of port infrastructure is part of a broader policy aimed at improving the competitiveness of production in Santa Fe.

“Production needs roads, railways and docks to become more competitive,” he said.

Puccini added that, together with Governor Maximiliano Pullaro, the province is seeking to better organize public resources, establish clear rules and attract private investment to bring idle assets back into operation.

According to the minister, logistics plays a central role in that strategy by helping reduce costs, integrate different regions and connect Santa Fe’s production with the country’s main markets and projects.

Transportation and Logistics Secretary Mónica Alvarado said the award will make it possible to recover a terminal that had been inactive for nearly 70 years.

“More than 33,000 square meters are being returned to productive use, with private investment and clear rules,” she said.

Alvarado also highlighted Santa Fe’s strategic position, supported by its industrial base, rail network and access to the Paraná River.

In that context, she said the new Villa Constitución Terminal will make it possible to channel cargo through public ports and directly serve demand for sand and aggregates generated by the development of Vaca Muerta.

“We want active ports that generate business and jobs,” she said.

Project Calls for $4.5 Million Investment

Hernán Salemi, president of the Villa Constitución Port Administration Authority, described Terminal I as “kilometer zero and part of the historical identity” of the local port.

According to Salemi, the award resolves a longstanding issue for the city and opens up a concrete prospect for job creation in the region.

The winning proposal calls for an estimated $4.5 million in private investment to modernize the infrastructure and introduce new operational technologies.

The reactivation of Terminal I also brings the Port of Villa Constitución closer to the logistics demand generated by Vaca Muerta, particularly for the transportation of sand and aggregates used in energy-sector operations.

Source: Government of Santa Fe Province

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