The Ministry of Transport and Public Works of Ecuador (MTOP) has announced that the tender process for Manta Port concession continues according to plan with September 21 as scheduled deadline.

As we reported in April, the MOPT jointly with the Port Authority of Manta re-opened the tender process for the port of Manta concession, located on Ecuador's Pacific coast, through a public-private partnership (PPP).

The port concession process was initially launched in 2012, but no firms showed interested in the project and the process was stopped. Then, after the port received an unsolicited offer from Chilean port operator Agunsa, in January 2016, the Government re-opened the process looking for competitive bids.

The qualified teams will compete for the design, financing, equipment, execution of additional works, operation and maintenance of the international terminal through a 40-year concession.

The expansion will include repairs to the port's two international terminals as well as the dock for the industrial fishing fleet.

Dredging is also included in the initial project plans so as to increase the port's depth to 16 meters. The main part of the expansion will be the construction of a new quay of 350 meters.

The total investment is estimated to be at US$175 million.