Chile’s largest-ever port infrastructure project, the US$4.45 billion San Antonio Outer Port, has reached a key milestone in its international bidding process, with five leading global consortia prequalified to participate.
The groups include Acciona-Deme (Spain-Belgium), Hyundai Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd. (Korea), Van Oord (Netherlands), Jan De Nul (Belgium), and China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC, China). Each consortium met the technical and administrative criteria established by Empresa Portuaria San Antonio, the state-owned entity overseeing the development.
With an estimated investment of US$4.45 billion, the Puerto Exterior project will involve the construction of a 4-kilometer breakwater, two 1,730-meter terminals, and facilities capable of accommodating up to eight 400-meter vessels simultaneously—the largest container ships currently operating worldwide.
According to the authorities, the first stage of the project will double Chile’s port capacity and generate more than 4,000 jobs in the port city of San Antonio, enhancing the nation’s competitiveness in global maritime trade.
Minister of Transport and Telecommunications Juan Carlos Muñoz highlighted that Chile’s extensive coastline makes maritime activity central to its trade, and that international firms’ participation reflects global confidence in the country’s reliability and stability.
Eduardo Abedrapo, chairman of Empresa Portuaria San Antonio, noted that the involvement of major port operators underscores Chile’s legal, political, and economic soundness. He added that the Outer Port will triple the nation’s handling capacity and strengthen its long-term logistics position.
From Imagen de Chile, executive director María Teresa Saldías emphasized that the project demonstrates Chile’s image as an open and trustworthy partner for large-scale infrastructure development, with a clear commitment to people and the environment.
Once fully operational—projected for 2036—the new complex will have the capacity to move 6 million TEUs annually, equivalent to nearly 60 million tonnes of cargo. This expansion will consolidate the Outer Port of San Antonio as a strategic node in the South Pacific and in the network of large-scale ports in Latin America and the Caribbean.
