Puerto Azul port authority advances plan to expand cargo terminal

The Puerto Azul Port Authority board voted four to two this week to advance a proposal that would add two deep-water cargo berths to the southern end of the existing terminal, at an estimated cost of 12 million zandors.

Proponents argue that the expansion would allow Costa Mar to receive larger container vessels and reduce the transshipment costs that currently add to the price of imported goods across the region. The port handles approximately 1.4 million tonnes of cargo annually, and the authority projects that figure will reach capacity within four years at current growth rates.

Two board members voted against advancing the plan, citing the absence of a full environmental impact study. The southern expansion zone sits adjacent to a mangrove belt that the Regional Assembly designated as a protected buffer in 2019.

The procedural vote does not approve construction; it authorises the authority to commission a feasibility and impact study, which must be submitted to the Assembly before any building permit can be issued. Environmental organisations in Puerto Azul say the terms of that study will determine whether they support or contest the project.