The Port of Ponce Authority (PPA), a governing body of the Port of the Americas located in Ponce, Puerto Rico, has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the partial privatization of the port.

The port is located on the south coast of the Island. The project comprises over 300 acres of government controlled land, occupied by the existing port and future development areas.

Through an investment of over US$285 million, the port currently offers a modern post-panamax berth with 50 foot depth, two super post panamax ship-to-shore cranes, and a new container yard with a capacity of up to 500,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year.

Having completed the development of these new facilities on the port, the government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico intends to procure an experienced and highly qualified private international operator for the port. The government aims to commercialize this public infrastructure and further promote the expansion of the port trough private investment. Specifically it intends to:

• Enable the port to eventually handle 1.5 million TEU's per year;
• Provide efficient port facilities to move cargo in Puerto Rico's southern region;
• Complement services offered by the port of San Juan;
• Enhance Puerto Rico value and supply chain; and
• Provide economic stimulus to the southern region.

Located in the middle of a privileged geographic position along the Mona Passage, a main shipping route between the Atlantic Ocean and the Panama Canal, the Port of the Americas has the capacity to become the next world-class international transshipment port for carrying out value-added activities.

Interested parties must submit their proposals on or before 19 December 2014. The shortlist is scheduled to be announced on 15 January 2015 and the project is expected to be awarded on 30 March 2015.

See RFP:

http://businessinpuertorico.com/documents/port-of-the-americas-rfi.pdf