The mission of the US Army Engineers, which is found in Guatemala to do a study on the critical infrastructure in the country, He toured the facilities of the Quetzal Port Company (EPQ) in Escuintla to learn about the status of its facilities.
The technicians heard a presentation by the members of the Board of Directors of EPQ about the real situation of the port enclosure, which is the connection in the Guatemalan Pacific, and in which the urgency of expanding several of the docks was reiterated.
During the journey of the American mission It was reported that there were 30 ships For discharge maneuvers on the docks with cement, iron, grains, containers, wheat, clinker and malt, according to the official records of the port.
Analysis and feasibility
Vice Admiral José Antonio Lemus Guzmán, president of EPQ, remarked that the technical visit of the United States Army Engineers Representatives It is to explore the possibilities of port development.
He explained that an information exchange was made, during the visit that took place at the facilities, “Because engineers wanted to physically observe what they had only seen in papers”. He reiterated that at the moment there is no approach because it is in an exploration phase.
On the presentation for the modernization of the EPQ, the manager indicated that the extension of the commercial dock was shown 800 meters long or an extension to the northern part, which would achieve the installation of docks 5, 6, 7 and 8.
In the presentation made by the president of the Board of Directors of EPQ, José Lemus, to the Civil Engineers of the United States Army, they expressed the need to attend more ships; However, he acknowledged that one of the problems that would have when making the maneuvers in the movement of the ships so that they can enter or sail into the dock, “Because at the moment they only have one entrance to the commercial dock area.”
“We are waiting for those studies that they can provide us, to know if it is feasible, how much it would cost. This will be determined with their help, ”said Lemus Guzmán in the facilities.
Although the expansion of docks 5, 6, 7 and 8, the possibility of being possible in the future is also the construction of a new Puerto Aguas inside (always on the port farm on the beach) that would be a mega work In the future but that costs should be analyzed, said the manager.
Recommendations in May
Juan Carlos Zapata, Executive Director of the Foundation for the Development of Guatemala (Fundesa) declared that representatives of several business chambers, held an encounter with the technical team that is visiting the country to evaluate the critical infrastructure.
Confirmed that the first report will be presented in May, After the field visit concluded and acknowledged that it is a technical group that has worked on similar programs in Honduras, Colombia and Brazil.
The meeting reiterated the need for an extension of the EPQ docks, but also of a transatlantic rail connection to the National Port Company Santo Tomás de Castilla (Empornac) in Izabal and Puerto Barrios. That is, the rail circuit enters Pacifico and Atlántico, which would be presented with the observation made these days.
He explained that the US Army Engineers It will present the results and then the state of Guatemala must seek the funds to start carrying out the feasibility studies.
He concluded that as Fundesa the project portfolio was presented under the Guatemala initiative does not stop (GNSD).
Expectations
Asked the Ministry of Communications, Infrastructure and Housing (MICIVI) it was reported that it is a series of experts and that everyone comes to see their area. “It is a technical recognition visit about those will raise a route of approach to the topic of EPQ,” they said.
In addition, the visit is focused especially in EPQ, meetings will also be addressed to define the following steps on the train and airports.