APM Terminals Moin Bullish on Reefers
APM Terminals is preparing an expansion of the Moin Terminal in Costa Rica's cooling export facilities.
Six new STS cranes and 29 RTG cranes to operate the deep water port of Moin Container Terminal, which opens in 2018. The Port of Moin is 18 meters deep docks. Larger container ships with increased cooling capacity can then enter Costa Rica directly.
Costa Rica's Port Limon-Moin is ranked as the 13th largest in Latin America and fourth in Central America with a container volume of 1.09 million TEUs in 2014. Over the next 15 years is expected reefer container shipments from Costa Rica to increase from approximately 300,000 to 600.000 TEU.
APM Terminals Moin will allocate 60-70 percent of the terminal's capacity of cold storage to cope with the expected growth. The port is one of the most advanced in Latin America at the completion of the first phase in 2018.
“The future of temperature-controlled shipments is containers, and the larger containerships dedicated space to reefer cargoes. The advanced technology of APM Terminals Moin next-generation cranes will improve safety as well as efficiency, with improved environmental performance essential to handling these ships and attracting more business for Costa Rica in the port, and across the country,” said Kenneth Waugh, Managing Director of APM Terminals Costa Rica.
Dredging is underway of the access channel and turning‐basin to be deepened to 16 meters. Other construction projects include the construction of a new 1.5 kilometer breakwater with a 40 hectare container yard, 600 meters of quay and 2 berths equipped with 6 post‐Panamax cranes.
Upon the completion of the project’s final phase, the facility will cover an area of 80 hectares, with 1500 meters of quay, 5 berths, a 2.2 km breakwater and an access channel 18 meters deep, serving as a shipping hub for the Caribbean and Central America.
Global containerized reefer volume increased by 4.9% in 2014. Advances in reefer container operations enable not only temperature control, but also the mix of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen within the container to slow the ripening process and keep fruit fresh. Reefer containers are able to reduce costs by reducing spoilage and by taking advantage of faster and more efficient intermodal movements.
