LatinNews Daily - 22 January 2025

*Chile’s state-owned port authority Empresa Portuaria San Antonio (Epsa), in charge of the San Antonio port in Valparaíso region, has opened the bidding process for the ‘Puerto Exterior’ development project, calling for contractors, foreign and domestic, to prequalify for the public tendering of the next phase of the project. This process will last until August 2025. The project looks to expand the capacity of San Antonio, which is Chile’s main freight port. The announcement was led by Transport Minister Juan Carlos Muñoz and the chairman of the board of directors of San Antonio port, Eduardo Abedrapo. Procurement at this stage concerns a US$1.5bn contract to construct a large-scale breakwater, carry out the deep-sea dredging of the dock, and develop supporting road and rail infrastructure. Interested contractors are expected to demonstrate their experience with port development projects of this scale as well as their financial solvency as conditions of their pre-qualification. Epsa aims to award the contract in the first quarter of 2026.