The San Antonio Port Company (EPSA), the state-owned company that manages the main port in the Valparaíso Region, has launched the tender for preparatory works for the Outer Port, according to Diario Financiero. These works are financed with US$ 50 million provided by the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF).
The announcement follows a setback. Last July, EPSA canceled the original process and restructured its contracting strategy. The outlet does not detail what prompted that cancellation or what changes the new strategy entails.
The first stage covers detailed engineering and the construction of two roads, corresponding to the megaproject's northern and southern connections. Detailed engineering is the final design, with precise drawings and specifications, that allows construction to begin.
Think of these works as the access routes to a house before its walls are built. Without roads connecting the future terminal to the rest of the network, trucks would have no way to enter or leave with cargo.
The funding comes from CAF, a Latin American multilateral bank that lends money to countries in the region for infrastructure and development. The US$ 50 million represents initial financing, according to the published information, so it does not cover the project's total cost.
Interested companies will be able to purchase the bidding documents, which set out the rules and requirements for applying, between October 13 and November 12. The source does not report when the contract would be awarded or when construction would begin.
San Antonio plays a key role in Chile's foreign trade. The Outer Port aims to expand its capacity, and any construction delay postpones that expansion. The Diario Financiero report provides no capacity figures or overall project timeline.
Meanwhile, EPSA will continue arranging financing for subsequent stages. It is also preparing the bidding documents for the construction of the breakwater, the large sea wall that protects ships from waves and is one of the Outer Port's main works.
