Shipping company Ultranav, through Portuaria Otway Ltda., submitted a port and logistics project worth US$80 million in the municipalities of Río Verde and Punta Arenas, in the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region. The initiative entered the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA) as an Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA), according to La Tercera.
Ultranav is a shipping group linked to the Von Appen family. It was founded in 1960, has 12 companies involved in port operations and operates in 21 countries, according to the same outlet.
The "Otway logistics and port project" aims to enable vessel berthing, cargo transfer and temporary storage, including oversized cargo and components for third-party projects. The company cites logistics demand from industrial and infrastructure projects in Magallanes, especially those in the green hydrogen industry, as the rationale for the project.
According to CNN Chile, the works span three sites totaling approximately 47.51 hectares. The first is Otway Pier, at Lackwater Point, on Riesco Island (municipality of Río Verde). The second, the La Rivera site, is on the mainland shore of the Fitz Roy Channel, also in Río Verde, connected to Route Y-50. The third is a logistics support area at the junction of Routes Y-50 and 9N, in Punta Arenas. The sources do not specify the distances between the sites or their distance from the city.
The project reuses infrastructure from the former "Riesco Island Port Project," which received a favorable environmental assessment and has now completed its closure phase. The company is therefore submitting it as a new project rather than a modification. It also maintains that this avoids building large structures along the coastline.
Ultranav also says that the regional governance body for the energy transition, which includes the National Petroleum Company (ENAP), the Austral Port Company (EPA) and the project owner itself, recognized the need for a private solution to complement existing ports in serving the green hydrogen industry.
Construction would begin in the second half of 2028 and employ an average of 120 people, with a peak of 170. The sources differ on the completion date. La Tercera indicates that the works would be ready in the first quarter of 2030. CNN Chile, however, places the start of operations in the second half of 2030. That stage would employ an average of 57 people, with a peak of 91.
The declared operational lifespan is 34 years, with closure projected for 2061. The DIA rules out significant adverse effects on the population, natural resources, communities, protected areas and heritage, according to the analysis under Article 11 of Law 19,300 on the General Bases of the Environment. It also does not include a plan for monitoring environmental variables.
Those wishing to request a public participation process may do so through the Environmental Assessment Service (SEA) until December 15, 2026. A request requires at least two organizations with legal personality or ten directly affected individuals.
