Financing for the construction and expansion of commercial docks 5, 6, 7 and 8 at the Empresa Portuaria Quetzal (EPQ), as well as their investment cost estimate, It will be defined in the second half of 2026, and the use of various instruments in public credit operations is expected.
The financing necessary to carry out the different phases of construction is still under feasibility analysis and, at the moment, there is no exact amount of what the works to be carried out by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Usace) may cost.
Next May 22 marks the first year of the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Usace and the Ministry of Defense (Mindef)to carry out the evaluation, modernization and expansion of the EPQ commercial docks, in Escuintla. This week a technical mission is visiting.
According to Mindef, for the second half of 2026 it is planned to advance the feasibility and engineering studies, after having made a payment of US$63.7 million in July 2025.
The schedule indicates that the technical analysis for design and cost will be completed in two phases.
EPQ financing will be defined in October
Vice Admiral Juan Antonio Lemus Guzmán, president of the EPQ, explained to Free press that work is already underway in the financing phase and there is coordination with the Ministry of Finance (Minfin) about a future decision.
“We are planning it with the Board of Directors of EPQ. We have to look for one of the ways, which is the loan, and we have the support of the Ministry of Finance for the management. It is a somewhat long process to find who can grant it,” commented Lemus Guzmán after recently participating in a port forum held in Antigua Guatemala.
He recalled that the construction of the EPQ was financed through an international loan a few decades ago, which provided certainty to the project.
The vice admiral clarified that, at this time, the mechanism has not yet been defined by the port directors, but plans are already being made to make it clearer and include it in the annual budget for fiscal year 2027. Everything would point to a possible loan with a financial organization.
The financing necessary to carry out the different phases of construction is still under feasibility analysis and, at the moment, there is no exact amount of what the works to be carried out by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Usace) may cost.
This financing mechanism, according to the vice admiral, should be defined in October.
By 2027, the internal bidding processes would be concluded, which should begin in the first semester, under the USACE systems and criteria, with the defined designs.
The construction phase would begin in the first half of 2028.
Project in Puerto Quetzal enters the design phase
This week a USACE mission is in Guatemala, which will conclude next Friday, April 17, to advance the modernization and expansion program of Puerto Quetzal.
Mindef reported that the project is progressing as planned and is in an initial design phase, which has already made it possible to define the main technical requirements, prepare preliminary schemes and establish cost estimates.
On the other hand, joint coordination between the Quetzal Port Company and the United States Army Corps of Engineers remains active and fluid, with exchange of information, development of specialized workshops and permanent technical support.