Latin American Ports Move Forward with Major Capacity Expansion Projects

The potential to handle greater container volumes is driving several major port expansion projects across Latin America. The initiatives, which are at different stages of development, focus on new terminals, quay extensions and improvements to existing infrastructure, with investments reaching several billion dollars.

Chile is home to one of the region’s largest developments, the San Antonio Outer Port project, which calls for an investment of $4.5 billion to build two semi-automated terminals. The complex would have an annual capacity of 6 million TEUs and could accommodate up to eight vessels measuring 400 meters in length simultaneously. Another project involves a new container terminal in Valparaíso, whose first phase would require an investment of $500 million, with a tender planned for 2029.

In Brazil, the Tecon Santos 10 project aims to expand capacity at the Port of Santos, the country’s busiest port. The initiative involves an estimated investment of $1.2 billion to build a new dedicated container megaterminal, increasing the infrastructure available to handle cargo flows.

According to the Santos Port Authority (APS), the Port of Santos currently has three terminals exclusively or specifically dedicated to container handling. Considering deep-sea movements across all terminals that make up this major logistics hub—excluding transshipment, cabotage, and other domestic operations—Datamar data show 1,027,723 TEUs in exports and 1,213,683 TEUs in imports. The chart below provides a month-by-month comparison:

Exports & Imports | Port of Santos | Jan 2024 – Sep 2026 | TEUs

Source: DataLiner – explore our trade data

Peru is also moving forward with projects aimed at increasing operational capacity at its main port facilities. At the Port of Chancay, operated by Cosco Shipping Ports, a second phase is planned that would increase the number of berths from four to 15. Meanwhile, DP World has submitted a $1.47 billion proposal to expand the South Pier at Callao, which currently operates with a capacity of 2.7 million containers.

In Ecuador, investments are concentrated in Posorja and Puerto Bolívar. DP World is carrying out work to extend the quay at Posorja to 800 meters, with the goal of reaching an annual capacity of between 1.4 million and 1.5 million TEUs. Yilport Holding, meanwhile, plans to increase Puerto Bolívar’s capacity to 2 million TEUs through a phased development program.

Colombia is also adding facilities to its port infrastructure. Puerto Pisisí, located in Turbo, began construction this year and is expected to start operations in 2028. The project includes a 760-meter quay and a navigable channel with a depth of 16 meters. Puerto Antioquia, meanwhile, began operating in February 2026, offering services for containers, general cargo and refrigerated cargo.

In Argentina, the redevelopment of Puerto Nuevo in Buenos Aires aims to consolidate container operations into a single terminal. This process is taking place amid competition for cargo flows in the Río de la Plata, a market of considerable importance to Uruguay’s port industry.

Montevideo’s Role in Regional Port Expansion

Against this backdrop, Uruguay is evaluating a port expansion proposal for Montevideo involving the development of Montevideo Container Terminal (MCT), a project submitted by Neltume Ports that calls for an investment of approximately $900 million. The initiative, which remains under review by the national government, is described as the largest private port investment proposed in the country.

The design includes 38 hectares of reclaimed land, an 800-meter ocean-facing quay and a 24-hectare container storage yard. The infrastructure would also feature independent access routes, a rail connection, a Container Freight Station (CFS), a barge berth and state-of-the-art equipment.

The terminal would have a maximum annual capacity of 1.15 million TEUs and would be equipped to accommodate vessels up to 366 meters long. The project calls for initial dredging to a depth of 14 meters, with the possibility of further deepening in the future to accommodate changes in vessel sizes and maritime transportation requirements.

“The projects moving forward in countries across the region show that port infrastructure continues to evolve through the construction of new terminals, the expansion of existing facilities and the adoption of technology to meet the demands of international trade. For Uruguay, the challenge is to keep pace with this transformation, strengthen the Port of Montevideo’s capacity and create the conditions needed to maintain its competitiveness against nearby ports,” said Fernando Reveco, business development manager at Neltume Ports.

According to projections presented by Neltume Ports, the new infrastructure could attract additional cargo flows from Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia, with an estimated potential of 985,000 TEUs per year. The company estimates that the development would help the Port of Montevideo reach approximately 1.4 million TEUs annually by 2035, strengthening its role as a logistics hub for foreign trade and regional transportation.

The proposal must complete the relevant institutional, technical and environmental review processes, which are estimated to take three and a half years. Once that stage is completed, construction of the first phase would require another three years, allowing the terminal to begin handling up to 380,000 TEUs annually in 2031.

Source: Altamar News

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