With an eye to receiving more and larger ships in the near future, the pacific port of Caldera, in the province of Puntarenas, is getting a much-needed boost to its facilities.

The US$20 million improvements aim to decrease wait time for ships to load and unload, thus making the port an attractive option by saving ships money.

President of the Republic, Luis Guillermo Solís and the First Lady, Mercedes Peñas, met from September 27 – 30, with residents of the Caldera region  as well as productive sectors, and local and national authorities.

“Currently in Puerto Cadera ships reach up to 60 thousand tons, and in the future could reach up to 109 thousand tons. For this reason it is necessary to adapt conditions to the type of ships that transit our seas and that our economy demands. We also have a breakwater that no longer has the capacity to retain sediment, and the shipyards that will soon be without storage space, however the projects we are proposing allow us to solve these problems,” said Mario González Amador, general manager of the Costa Rican Institute of Pacific Ports (Instituto Costarricense de Puertos del Pacífico, INCOP)

The project will ensure docks have wider berths to accommodate larger ships, as well as specialized cranes for unloading containers, among other new equipment. In addition, the breakwater will be expanded to provide greater protection from ships in harbor from waves.

The shipyard at Puerto Caldera has a storage capacity of 4,500 TEUS, which will likely be insufficient by next year.

The improvements to be undertaken will involve possibly relocating some of the warehouses and other service stations away from the loading area to allow for quicker docking. In addition, a parking area for 500 trucks will be built.

Future improvements need to fully modernize the Camera port and which are currently under discussion include building a logistics park to facilitate and expedite loading goods from ships onto ground transportation. It is estimated that the project would cost approximately ₡2 billion colones.

The 24-hour park would occupy a five hectare area, and have space for 300 large vehicles and 50 light vehicles. It would also have facilities for visitors such as bathrooms and recreational activities, said the Ministry of Transport and Public Works.