The Ecuadorian Ministry of Transport and Public Works and state-owned Dubai Port World (DP World) are about to agree a formal proposal for the construction of deep water port in the town of Posorja, Ecuador. The government hopes to award the project in the first half of 2016.

The final award of the project is expected to be announced in the first semester of the year. 

The port project will be developed in in Posorja, a small village in Ecuador that lies about 120 km from the city Guayaquil at the delta of the Guayas River.

Few months ago, the government of Ecuador announced a plan to develop four public private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects in the country, where Posorja port was included:

• Posorja port, which is currently a small fishing port in the Guayas delta, 50 km south of Guayaquil centre. In 2006, a US$450 million concession to build and operate a deepwater port with a 15 m draft in Posorja was awarded to Spanish group Alianza Internacional Portuaria (Alinport). However, works never began and the authorization for construction was later revoked.

• Machala port, which is Ecuador's second most important port. Located in the city of Machala, Bolivar Port is the gate of the export products of the rich region of the Province of El Oro and parts of the provinces of Azuay, Canar, Guayas and Zamora and northern Peru. This port mobilizes 80% of banana production in Ecuador.

• Rio 7 highway in Huaquillas, a 95 km road that would link the northeast and northwest of El Oro province. The total project investment is estimated at US$356 million.

The fourth project was not disclosed. The projects could be developed on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. The four projects plan would need an investment estimated at US$1.5 billion.