Port of the Americas (Port of Ponce)
Encyclopedia
The Rafael Cordero Santiago
Port of the Americas is a megaport currently under construction in Ponce
, Puerto Rico. The project aims to convert the current Port of Ponce into an international shipping hub similar to, though not as large as, the megaports located in Singapore
and Rotterdam
. The Port of the Americas is Puerto Rico's main Caribbean port. At a depth of 50 feet, it is also the Caribbean's deepest port. The Port of the Americas Authority has reported that when completed the new port will have a storage capacity of 2.2 Million
TEU
s. The Port of Americas, an expansion project of the Port of Ponce, handled an estimated 504,044 short tons of cargo in 2007, and is projected to handle over 1.5 million in 2012.
The current port, named the Port of Ponce, is located in the southern tip of the city of Ponce, 1.5 miles south of the intersection of PR-52 and PR-12. The port was created on February 28, 1789, by Royal Decree. It started operating commercially in 1804.
During 1800-1850, the Port of Ponce became the heart of Ponce's economic control. During these decades, the Port, with its adjacent massive construction of commercial buildings, stores and warehouses, "became more important to the national [Puerto Rican] economy than San Juan's. By 1890 the Port was exporting 33.2 % of the national production, compared with 21.2% exported from San Juan."
The port has been operated by the municipality of Ponce since 1911 and has been an important part of the island’s economy, especially to the sugar cane and coffee industry during the first half of the 20th century. In 1913 the municipality completed a covered pier of concrete and steel with ample depth of water and railroad connections. In 1918 almost 20% of merchant traffic into and out of the Island occurred through this port. The Ponce port is currently the only port in Puerto Rico that is operated as well as owned by a municipal government. The port has 8 piers, numbered 1 through 8.
Operations at the Port of Ponce were significantly reduced during the second half of the 20th century, mainly due to the decay of the agricultural industry of the Island and the fact that the government shifted most shipping imports and exports to the San Juan Port
located in the island’s capital of San Juan
. The Port of San Juan became Puerto Rico’s main shipping port during this time, experiencing significant expansion projects and heavy traffic year-round, while the Port of Ponce was left to handle mostly local operations. It is estimated that 90% of all goods exported or imported in Puerto Rico passed through the Port of San Juan. It has been reported that the Port of Ponce handles about 40% of Puerto Rico's loose shipping traffic. These situations led the mayor of Ponce to seek the transfer of Port of Ponce facilities and operations from the government of the Commonwealth to the Ponce municipal government.
Following these ownership changes, several improvements were made to the Port of Ponce, most of them under the administration of late mayor Rafael “Churumba” Cordero Santiago
. These improvements included repaving worn-out roads, the addition of the short Port of Ponce Railroad system for transporting oil and chemicals from ships to holding tanks via tanker cars
(although it is now rarely in operation), and a cruise ship
terminal. The port had one quay side crane in operation before the Port of the Americas project got under way, and a second crane was acquired soon after the project began in 2004.
The design and addition of a free zone
within the Port of Ponce has also been studied.
, make occasional stops in its port. The municipality is seeking to build a new tourist wharf at Eugenio Maria de Hostos Street with a total length of 1,200 feet long by 160 feet wide, to berth two mega cruise ships simultaneously. The estimated cost is $57.6M USD, with the expected creation of 600 jobs.
was highly dependent on an export manufacturing industry, which in turn relied on substantial federal and commonwealth government tax subsidies. Political and business leaders alike agreed that, in order to secure Puerto Rico’s economic future, the island had to diversify its economy and improve its attractiveness towards manufacturers and similar businesses since it could not rely solely on tax benefits. Therefore, the government decided to invest heavily in developing tourism areas, such as new passenger cruise ship terminals at the San Juan Port, and to initiate plans to convert Puerto Rico into the leading manufacturing and shipping location in the Caribbean
. During the late 1990s, the megaport project obtained significant support when the US federal government decided to phase out most of the federal tax subsidies awarded to manufacturing companies in Puerto Rico, and after the neighboring countries of Jamaica
and the Dominican Republic
announced plans to create megaports of their own.
and the Port of Rotterdam
, in order obtain an idea of a megaport’s operations and impact on local economies. These studies revealed the need for a large transshipment port in the Caribbean region to facilitate distribution from the emerging markets in Asia and the US west coast to the eastern coasts of North, Central and South America. The government also found that Puerto Rico had several advantages over its Caribbean competitors, which included first-class infrastructure (such as highways and several airports), strong economic and political ties with the United States, and the island’s close proximity to the Mona Passage (a large and deep channel between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic through which most ships sail when traveling between the Panama Canal and the US eastern coast). During this research stage, three potential locations were considered for the megaport
), while the opposing party (PNP
) supported the Roosevelt Roads location. In the end, the Commonwealth government decided to award the location of the Port of the Americas to the City of Ponce. As an act of remembrance, the Government of the Commonwealth signed into law the creation of the Port of the Americas project and named the Rafael Cordero Santiago Port of the Americas after the late mayor.
It is estimated the Port of the Americas will generate 100,000 jobs.
As of August 4, 2010, the Port of the Americas website was down, with the message that it was under maintenance.
s at any given time (Puerto Rico previously could not handle these types of ships due to relatively shallow depths) and increase its annual throughput to a total of . Final project costs are currently estimated at $750 million USD.
Rafael Cordero Santiago
Rafael Cordero Santiago – better known as Churumba – was the Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico from 1989 to 2004. Many considered him as a synonym of Ponce, being baptized as the Greatest Lion in reference to the city's nickname of The Lion City of Ponce...
Port of the Americas is a megaport currently under construction in Ponce
Ponce, Puerto Rico
Ponce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
, Puerto Rico. The project aims to convert the current Port of Ponce into an international shipping hub similar to, though not as large as, the megaports located in Singapore
Port of Singapore
The Port of Singapore refers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade handling functions in Singapore's harbours and which handle Singapore's shipping...
and Rotterdam
Port of Rotterdam
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004 it was the world's busiest port, now overtaken by first Shanghai and then Singapore...
. The Port of the Americas is Puerto Rico's main Caribbean port. At a depth of 50 feet, it is also the Caribbean's deepest port. The Port of the Americas Authority has reported that when completed the new port will have a storage capacity of 2.2 Million
Million
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
TEU
Twenty-foot equivalent unit
The twenty-foot equivalent unit is an inexact unit of cargo capacity often used to describe the capacity of container ships and container terminals...
s. The Port of Americas, an expansion project of the Port of Ponce, handled an estimated 504,044 short tons of cargo in 2007, and is projected to handle over 1.5 million in 2012.
Port of Ponce (current port)
During 1800-1850, the Port of Ponce became the heart of Ponce's economic control. During these decades, the Port, with its adjacent massive construction of commercial buildings, stores and warehouses, "became more important to the national [Puerto Rican] economy than San Juan's. By 1890 the Port was exporting 33.2 % of the national production, compared with 21.2% exported from San Juan."
The port has been operated by the municipality of Ponce since 1911 and has been an important part of the island’s economy, especially to the sugar cane and coffee industry during the first half of the 20th century. In 1913 the municipality completed a covered pier of concrete and steel with ample depth of water and railroad connections. In 1918 almost 20% of merchant traffic into and out of the Island occurred through this port. The Ponce port is currently the only port in Puerto Rico that is operated as well as owned by a municipal government. The port has 8 piers, numbered 1 through 8.
Operations at the Port of Ponce were significantly reduced during the second half of the 20th century, mainly due to the decay of the agricultural industry of the Island and the fact that the government shifted most shipping imports and exports to the San Juan Port
San Juan Port
The Port of San Juan is a seaport facility located in the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico.The "Port of San Juan" is the general name used to call various passenger and cargo facilities located in lands around the San Juan Bay...
located in the island’s capital of San Juan
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
. The Port of San Juan became Puerto Rico’s main shipping port during this time, experiencing significant expansion projects and heavy traffic year-round, while the Port of Ponce was left to handle mostly local operations. It is estimated that 90% of all goods exported or imported in Puerto Rico passed through the Port of San Juan. It has been reported that the Port of Ponce handles about 40% of Puerto Rico's loose shipping traffic. These situations led the mayor of Ponce to seek the transfer of Port of Ponce facilities and operations from the government of the Commonwealth to the Ponce municipal government.
Following these ownership changes, several improvements were made to the Port of Ponce, most of them under the administration of late mayor Rafael “Churumba” Cordero Santiago
Rafael Cordero Santiago
Rafael Cordero Santiago – better known as Churumba – was the Mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico from 1989 to 2004. Many considered him as a synonym of Ponce, being baptized as the Greatest Lion in reference to the city's nickname of The Lion City of Ponce...
. These improvements included repaving worn-out roads, the addition of the short Port of Ponce Railroad system for transporting oil and chemicals from ships to holding tanks via tanker cars
Tank car
A tank car is a type of railroad rolling stock designed to transport liquid and gaseous commodities.-Timeline:...
(although it is now rarely in operation), and a cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
terminal. The port had one quay side crane in operation before the Port of the Americas project got under way, and a second crane was acquired soon after the project began in 2004.
The design and addition of a free zone
Free Zone
Free Zone may refer to:*A free economic zone or free port, an area with relaxed customs, immigration, visa, and/or taxation jurisdiction with respect to the country of location...
within the Port of Ponce has also been studied.
Tourist facilities
Two cruise lines, Holland America and CelebrityCelebrity Cruises
Celebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
, make occasional stops in its port. The municipality is seeking to build a new tourist wharf at Eugenio Maria de Hostos Street with a total length of 1,200 feet long by 160 feet wide, to berth two mega cruise ships simultaneously. The estimated cost is $57.6M USD, with the expected creation of 600 jobs.
History
The idea of constructing a megaport in the island has been debated since the late 1980s. By then Puerto Rico’s economyEconomy of Puerto Rico
The Economy of Puerto Rico is one of the most diverse in the Caribbean region. Services and industrial production have surpassed agriculture as the primary focus of economic activity and income. Encouraged by duty-free access to the US and by tax incentives, United States firms have invested...
was highly dependent on an export manufacturing industry, which in turn relied on substantial federal and commonwealth government tax subsidies. Political and business leaders alike agreed that, in order to secure Puerto Rico’s economic future, the island had to diversify its economy and improve its attractiveness towards manufacturers and similar businesses since it could not rely solely on tax benefits. Therefore, the government decided to invest heavily in developing tourism areas, such as new passenger cruise ship terminals at the San Juan Port, and to initiate plans to convert Puerto Rico into the leading manufacturing and shipping location in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. During the late 1990s, the megaport project obtained significant support when the US federal government decided to phase out most of the federal tax subsidies awarded to manufacturing companies in Puerto Rico, and after the neighboring countries of Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
announced plans to create megaports of their own.
Potential locations
The Government of the Commonwealth soon began researching the viability of a megaport in Puerto Rico by conducting land studies throughout the island, economic studies both in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and visiting existing megaports, such as the Port of SingaporePort of Singapore
The Port of Singapore refers to the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade handling functions in Singapore's harbours and which handle Singapore's shipping...
and the Port of Rotterdam
Port of Rotterdam
The Port of Rotterdam is the largest port in Europe, located in the city of Rotterdam, Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004 it was the world's busiest port, now overtaken by first Shanghai and then Singapore...
, in order obtain an idea of a megaport’s operations and impact on local economies. These studies revealed the need for a large transshipment port in the Caribbean region to facilitate distribution from the emerging markets in Asia and the US west coast to the eastern coasts of North, Central and South America. The government also found that Puerto Rico had several advantages over its Caribbean competitors, which included first-class infrastructure (such as highways and several airports), strong economic and political ties with the United States, and the island’s close proximity to the Mona Passage (a large and deep channel between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic through which most ships sail when traveling between the Panama Canal and the US eastern coast). During this research stage, three potential locations were considered for the megaport
- San Juan PortSan Juan PortThe Port of San Juan is a seaport facility located in the metropolitan area of San Juan, Puerto Rico.The "Port of San Juan" is the general name used to call various passenger and cargo facilities located in lands around the San Juan Bay...
– This consideration contemplated moving most local shipping operations to other ports on the island and expanding the Port of San Juan into an international megaport.
- PoncePonce, Puerto RicoPonce is both a city and a municipality in the southern part of Puerto Rico. The city is the seat of the municipal government.The city of Ponce, the fourth most populated in Puerto Rico, and the most populated outside of the San Juan metropolitan area, is named for Juan Ponce de León y Loayza, the...
/GuayanillaGuayanilla, Puerto RicoGuayanilla is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in southern coast of the island, bordering the Caribbean Sea, south of Adjuntas, east of Yauco; and west of Peñuelas and about 12 miles west of Ponce. Guayanilla is spread over 16 wards and Guayanilla Pueblo...
/PeñuelasPeñuelas, Puerto RicoPeñuelas is a municipality in Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Adjuntas, east of Guayanilla, west of Ponce and north of the Caribbean Sea. Peñuelas is spread over 12 wards and Peñuelas Pueblo . It is part of the Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area...
Port – This option contemplated leaving most local operations in San Juan, while converting the Port of Ponce into an international megaport with additional port facilities in the nearby towns of GuayanillaGuayanilla, Puerto RicoGuayanilla is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in southern coast of the island, bordering the Caribbean Sea, south of Adjuntas, east of Yauco; and west of Peñuelas and about 12 miles west of Ponce. Guayanilla is spread over 16 wards and Guayanilla Pueblo...
and PeñuelasPeñuelas, Puerto RicoPeñuelas is a municipality in Puerto Rico located in the southern coast of the island, south of Adjuntas, east of Guayanilla, west of Ponce and north of the Caribbean Sea. Peñuelas is spread over 12 wards and Peñuelas Pueblo . It is part of the Yauco Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
- Roosevelt RoadsRoosevelt Roads Naval StationRoosevelt Roads Naval Station is a former United States military air base in the town of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The site is run today as José Aponte de la Torre Airport, a public use airport.-History:...
(RR) Port – This possible location came into consideration after the US Navy closed its Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in the town of CeibaCeiba, Puerto RicoCeiba is a small town in northeast Puerto Rico. It is named after the famous Ceiba tree. Ceiba is located in the east coast of the island, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, north of Naguabo, south of Fajardo, and east of Río Grande. It is located about one hour's driving distance from San Juan...
. The naval station had adequate piers and quay side, a small airport, and large sections of undeveloped lands. The plan envisioned leaving local operations in San Juan and other local ports while expanding the naval station’s port facilities into a megaport. This option was complicated by the fact that the area was not under the jurisdiction of either the Ceiba municipal government or the government of the Commonwealth, but under that of the U.S. federal government, and would had required either a land concession or a low-cost sale to make the option viable.
Ponce chosen
Ponce mayor Rafael Cordero Santiago lobbied heavily for the location of the megaport to be in his hometown of Ponce before his untimely death in early 2004. He argued that Ponce already included adequate port facilities, a nearby airport, sufficient road and highway infrastructure, and the availability of approximately 1000 acres (4 km²) adjacent to the port area for immediate development. His efforts were mostly supported by members of his political party (PPDPopular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico
The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that supports Puerto Rico's right to self-determination and sovereignty, through the enhancement of Puerto Rico's current status as a commonwealth....
), while the opposing party (PNP
New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico
The New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico is a political party that advocates for Puerto Rico's admission to the United States of America as the 51st state...
) supported the Roosevelt Roads location. In the end, the Commonwealth government decided to award the location of the Port of the Americas to the City of Ponce. As an act of remembrance, the Government of the Commonwealth signed into law the creation of the Port of the Americas project and named the Rafael Cordero Santiago Port of the Americas after the late mayor.
Management and operation
The Port of the Americas Project is currently owned and managed by the Port of the Americas Authority (APA, from its Spanish acronym), a joint venture between the Autonomous Municipality of Ponce and the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. APA's current Executive Director is Ramon Torres Morales, an engineer who is also the Executive Director of the current Port of Ponce. The Authority also has a Board of Directors. Sitting on that Board are Puerto Rico's Secretary of Economic Development, the Director of the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO), Puerto Rico's Secretary of Transportation, and the mayors of Ponce, Guayanilla, and Peñuelas. The Board also includes several other business and civic leaders.It is estimated the Port of the Americas will generate 100,000 jobs.
As of August 4, 2010, the Port of the Americas website was down, with the message that it was under maintenance.
Project phases
The Port of the Americas construction project is divided into four main phases which will add an additional 3000 feet (914.4 m) of quay side to the Port of Ponce, dredge the existing port entrance and nearby bay to a depth of 50 feet (15.2 m), and develop adjacent lots into new container yards. This project would allow the actual Port of Ponce to handle three post-panamax vesselPanamax
Panamax and New Panamax are popular terms for the size limits for ships traveling through the Panama Canal. Formally, the limits and requirements are published by the Panama Canal Authority titled "Vessel Requirements"...
s at any given time (Puerto Rico previously could not handle these types of ships due to relatively shallow depths) and increase its annual throughput to a total of . Final project costs are currently estimated at $750 million USD.
- Phase 1 - The first phase of the project adds 1,200 ft (365.76 m) of quay to the existing piers, which will then accommodate four modern quay cranes with a rail gauge of 100 ft (30.48 m). This phase finished two months ahead of schedule in late 2004.
- Phase 2 - The second phase, which began in 2005, aims to dredge the existing Ponce bay near the entrance of the Port, the entrance channel and the piers to a depth of 50 ft (15.24 m), making them the deepest in the CaribbeanCaribbeanThe Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. The dredging will relocate approximately 5.5 million cubic meters of marine soil . This phase also includes developing 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) adjacent to the current piers to increase its yard capacity by of annual throughput.
- Phase 3 - This phase plans to convert land adjacent to the current port into a 50 ft (15.24 m) deep canal adding 1500 ft (457.2 m) of quay side for additional vessels and developing other sections near the future canal to increase total annual throughput to .
- Phase 4 - The final stage will add another 50 ft (15.2 m) deep canal, adding an additional 1500 feet (457.2 m) of quay side, and developing adjacent lands into new container yards, increasing the Port's annual throughput to a total of .http://www.portoftheamericas.com/about.project/phases.htm
See also
- Transportation in Puerto RicoTransportation in Puerto RicoTransportation in Puerto Rico includes a system of roads, highways, freeways, airports, ports and harbors, and railway systems, serving a population of approximately 4 million inhabitants year-round...
- Port of MayagüezPort of MayagüezThe Port of Mayagüez, located northwest of downtown Mayagüez, is the third busiest port on Puerto Rico.. The port is situated along Puerto Rico routes 64, 341, and 3341, and stretches for 3.8 miles along the coast. Its main canal is .4 miles wide and its depth ranges from 47 to 120 feet, the...
- Port of San Juan
- Ship TransportShip transportShip transport is watercraft carrying people or goods . Sea transport has been the largest carrier of freight throughout recorded history. Although the importance of sea travel for passengers has decreased due to aviation, it is effective for short trips and pleasure cruises...
External links
- Port of The Americas – Official Website
- Port of The Americas – Photo Album