The increasing size of container ships is beginning to place new demands on the infrastructure of Mexico’s main container port. Contecon Manzanillo announced on Tuesday that it has received authorization from the Regional Port Authority to receive vessels with drafts of up to 15.5 meters , a condition that expands the range of ships it can handle and opens the door to operations with larger cargo volumes per port call.
According to the company, the authorization makes its terminal the only one in the port of Manzanillo that currently has this operational condition, which allows it to serve large capacity container ships , including the so-called Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCV), capable of transporting up to 24,000 20-foot containers (TEU).
Beyond the increased draft, this move is significant because of the transformation underway in international maritime transport . The deployment of larger vessels on major trade routes requires ports to have not only sufficient depth, but also docks, cranes, yards, and processes capable of handling increased container traffic during each port call.
This evolution also reflects the shipping lines’ pursuit of economies of scale. Large container ships allow for the concentration of greater cargo volumes in a single voyage, while newer generations of vessels incorporate technologies aimed at optimizing fuel consumption and reducing emissions per container transported.
For Contecon, the authorization for the 15.5-meter draft is also part of an infrastructure expansion process aimed at preparing the terminal for this shift in the global fleet. It currently operates with STS cranes capable of handling large vessels and, as part of the next phase of its project, plans to add two new Super Post Panamax cranes in September.
The strategy, however, aims further. The terminal intends to eventually reach an operational draft of 17 meters , a depth considered in the design of its new docks, which could further expand its capacity to receive vessels with larger cargoes.
“This authorization represents a strategic step for the development of our terminal and confirms that the investments made in infrastructure are in line with the evolution of international maritime transport. It is also the first step towards our goal of achieving an operational draft of 17 meters, the design draft of our new docks, which will allow us to receive vessels with more cargo, strengthen the competitiveness of the Port of Manzanillo, and offer greater capacity to our clients,” said José Antonio Contreras, CEO of Contecon Manzanillo, in a press release.
This approach is particularly relevant in a port where the growth of containerized cargo demands a simultaneous expansion of both maritime and land-based capacity. The arrival of larger vessels can increase the volume unloaded and loaded during a single port call, but it also increases the pressure on yards, equipment, access points, and the various links in the chain involved in the movement of goods.
Therefore, draft is only one piece of a larger equation. For Manzanillo, remaining on the routes served by new-generation vessels will depend on the capacity to receive them from the waterfront advancing alongside sufficient infrastructure and efficiency to handle the larger volumes these ships can carry.
In this context, the authorization obtained by Contecon represents a new step in the port’s adaptation to the evolution of international maritime transport. While shipping companies continue to seek economies of scale through larger vessels, terminals face the challenge of anticipating this transformation and preventing ship sizes from outpacing the available infrastructure to accommodate them.
For the first seven months of this year, the port of Manzanillo had handled 2,455,953 TEUs , 11.7% more than the same period last year, of which Contecon Manzanillo accounted for 1,022,182 TEUs (+20.1%), according to statistics from the National Port System Administration (Asipona) Manzanillo .
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