In a move that reinforces its commitment to modernizing the Mexican port system, Grupo CICE added two multipurpose rail cranes to the equipment of its Semi-Specialized Container and Project Cargo Terminal in the North Bay of the port of Veracruz, consolidating an additional phase of expansion that responds to the growing logistical demands of foreign trade.
Last Monday, January 19, the vessel UHL FELICITY arrived at the port terminal carrying the components for the new Liebherr P180 LS cranes , whose assembly is scheduled to be completed during the first quarter of this year. Subsequently, the units will enter their operational testing and performance evaluation phase before being formally integrated into the vessel handling system before the end of the second quarter.
These cranes represent a significant advancement for the terminal: they have a safe lifting capacity of 65 tons, can operate up to 80 tons in Twin Lift mode or even 100 tons in Tandem configuration, and can handle up to 20 rows of containers, enabling them to service large-scale container ships. Furthermore, they incorporate remote operating systems (ROS) and energy recovery technology (Active Front End) , elements that pave the way for more efficient and competitive operations.
This development takes place within the framework of the second stage of the Semi-Specialized Container and Cargo Terminal Project , whose commissioning was announced in December 2025 and involved the enabling of an eight thousand square meter (m²) CFS warehouse, 350 connections for refrigerated containers and 570 additional positions for storage, aimed at streamlining cargo flows both LCL and FCL and improving entry and exit times under customs standards.
The terminal, which covers an area of more than 22 hectares with 550 linear meters of dock and dynamic capacity to handle hundreds of thousands of 20-foot containers (TEU), has been conceived from its origin as a key component to strengthen the competitiveness of the port of Veracruz , one of the most important logistics hubs in Mexico due to its connectivity with markets in Europe, South America and the east coast of the United States.
This momentum is also anchored in the broader context of the logistics sector, where Veracruz seeks to consolidate its position as a modern hub for port services in response to structural pressures such as nearshoring and the demand for more resilient and efficient supply chains. Within this framework, the expansion of Bahía Norte is seen not only as a physical expansion, but also as a strategic reconfiguration of the port space that enables greater operational capacity without compromising safety standards or service times.
The arrival of the new cranes is part of a series of investments and expansions by Grupo CICE that began with the commissioning of the first phase in April 2025. This next phase positions the Bahía Norte terminal as a leading player in national port competitiveness. In an environment where operational efficiency is increasingly demanded by global supply chains, the modernization of infrastructure and equipment—such as that promoted by Grupo CICE—translates into a tangible improvement in the port’s capacity to respond to growing volumes of international trade .
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