The Port of Buenaventura is Colombia’s only international port on the Pacific and is strategically important to the country’s industrial areas. In the past 10 years, annual container traffic growth at the port has averaged 11.5 percent, but recent growth has accelerated. Port facilities are over capacity and congestion is causing long delays for shipping lines and other port operations.

Grupo Empresarial del Pacífico, a Colombian developer, and Grupo Maritim Terminal de Contenidors de Barcelona, a Spanish terminal operator, want to develop a new container terminal CPIB. The Andean Development Corporation and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration retained Nathan Associates to conduct an independent due diligence analysis for development of the terminal.

We conducted an engineering and construction review of the terminal for both land site and marine locations; an operational and maintenance review for berth, yard, and gate operations; and traffic and revenue reviews, including a market study, appraisal of potential competitors, projection of potential cargo demand, tariff structure, and a forecast of operating revenues. We weighed project risks from the standpoint of potential investors.

Our due diligence was instrumental in attracting financing, and we are currently acting as the banker’s engineer.