The results of the Mission of Recognition of the Corps of Army Engineers of the US Defense Henry Sáenz and for Vice Admiral José Antonio Lemus Guzmán President of the Board of Directors of the Port, in which they provided More details.
During a press conference at the National Palace of Culture, a road map was reported that will specify in May in the subscription of a memorandum letter between the Ministries of the Defense of both countries and for August the arrival of the arrival of a new mission of specialists to do the studies and the validation of the works with a view to an execution for 2027.
It was explained that the program is known as design, planning, construction and modernization of the EPQ which was formalized with the visit of the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio at the beginning of the month to Guatemala, so the process has had an acceleration.
Financing sources
In the first instance, the president of the EPQ spoke that there is a provision of technical reserves for more than Q1 billion, and that with that the works for the modernization of the port could be “started”. These technical reserves are the cash balances and investments that the port in the financial system has.
“In banks, the EPQ has more than Q1 billion and is enough to start -The project-“, explained Lemus Guzmán and that, by the end of August, when the second visit arrives, there is a value of the construction of the docks which have as reference 5,6,7 and 8, which is the continuity of the four current bingers.
“There is a disposition of technical reserves for more than Q1 billion, and that with that the works for the modernization of the port could be started”
José Antonio Lemus Guzmán President EPQ
Another source of financing, which could be used to cover this extension is the request for a loan management in soft conditions with international financial organizations, in which the State of Guatemala acquired the commitment and the same benefits was paid the credit in the course for a period.
“The idea is to get a loan of low interest that would be paid the same as producing those docks,” explained by the manager.
What is coming
Lemus Guzmán acknowledged that the US Army Engineers A report last Friday, February 21 and clarified that there is still nothing decided, but the presidential objective is to start it.
“The decision materializes in May with the signing of a letter of agreement where the commitment to address the issue is established, which would have as the next step, a new technical visit in August to finish collecting basic information that they require to initiate the Port design, ”explained the president of EPQ.
He clarified that, although the port already had information and a database, the US Army Corps of Army. .
By accepting the country the agreement, the next phase is the design for its designation to which the construction would be made, “since they handle a series of companies that have in their ranking That they have that ability to develop this work, so that company of company could be designated to build the port, ”said the manager.
The manager said that the works will include the design, adjudication and construction of the docks in the northern part that are four (springs 5,6,7 and 8) and that include 800 meters, which is equivalent to 400 meters on each side and a new dock that will be in the northern part of the current position.
Payment will be assumed by the EPQ or by some other mechanism that includes soft credit conditions. “Another element of why having chosen the US Army Engineers.
In parallel of the construction of these four docks, the construction of another dock is being studied for the future, which at the time was conceptualized by the French company that EPQ built, which is to take advantage of the west side of the port.
The third project would consist of making a port outside (new) for 2050, but the primary is to meet the urgent demand that is in the internal part, but the outside part must also be analyzed.
He recalled that the external part of the port is justified, since in the internal part it is “restricted” by the entrance and the depth (draft) that varies between 16 meters and does not allow further depth in the cattle positions that is 14 to 13 meters. “In the future, ships that will continue to enter EPQ will have that same limitation, and what is sought is to attend post panamax ships because they are boats that are more than 15 meters of draft or 340 meters long, which are ships that are not They can attend, ”he said.