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The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) received on March 11 the qualification documents of those companies interested in the development of a container terminal project in the Corozal area of the Panama Canal.

The deadline had been postponed three times since the RFQ was launched on 25 November 2015, after bidders requested more time to submit their qualification proposals.

ACP has already started evaluating the proposals and it expects to announce the bidders and the shortlist for the next stage of the tender process in early April. The RFP stage will start in August 2016.

The tender process started in October 2015 when 11 teams submitted interest for the project after a Request for Expressions of Interest:

• Terminal Investment Limited (TIL) - Netherlands
• APM Terminals - Netherlands
• Eurogate International - Netherlands
• a team led by Carrix - U.S.
• Evergreen - Taiwan
• Hyundai Engineering & Construction - South Korea
• Ports America - U.S.
• CMA-CGM - France
• a team of China Shipping Ports Development and China Harbour Engineering
• Hamburger Hafen & Logistik - Germany
• Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s Hutchison Whampoa.

The project will be developed as Public Private Partnership (PPP) model, which consists of design, develop, finance, construct, operate and maintain the project for 20 years.

The PPP project will include the construction of a wharf, a container yard, superstructures, such as offices, warehouses, stores, sheds and other infrastructure required for the efficient operation of the port.

The new terminal will be built within a 120 hectare area that is currently owned by the Panama Canal and will be developed within the Neo Panamax vessels standards in two phases. The port will have the capacity to handle more than five million TEUs.

The first phase will have capacity to operate and manage thee Neo Panamax ship berths, and an approximate handling capacity of three million TEUs annually.

The second phase will include 731 linear meters of docks, with an additional capacity to operate and manage two additional Neo Panamax ships and approximate handling capacity of two million TEUs annually.