AMEGA's Mega Terminal of the Atlantic (MTA)

Americas Gateway Development Corporation Ltda, “AMEGA Ltda” intend to build a new deep-water international container transshipment terminal on the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica on Moin Bay near Limon, known as the Mega Terminal of the Atlantic (MTA).  

Port of Moin as it exists today

Port of Moin as envisaged by AMEGA

Factors driving the urgent need for AMEGA’s MTA:

•  Globalization and increasing inter-oceanic and Caribbean basin trade:  Despite a recessionary dip, world container trade is returning to past trends.  Global demand for seaborne container transportation is expected to increase by 4-5%.

• Shortage of transshipment capacity internationally as well as within the Caribbean basin, a shortage of transshipment capacity is expected to occur as world trade returns to normal levels.

• Larger container ships and shortage of transshipment ports capable of being expanded to serve their needs.  With the expected 2016 opening of the enlarged locks on the Panama Canal, the maximum size capacity will grow from the current 4500 TEU vessels to the post-Panamax standard of 12,500 TEU. Other larger vessels up to Ultra Large Capacity Vessels (UCLV) 18,000 TEU too large to fit through the expanded locks are 20% more cost effective to operate, but require deeper draughts, expanded crane speed and capacity, and other infrastructure that many existing ports both in South and North America are finding impossible to develop.  

• Larger ships in general, and in particular larger ships coming through the Panama Canal will continue to drive transshipment “hub and spoke” operations over point-to-point.  Similar to air freight business, larger ships are able to maximize overall efficiency by aggregating containers from several originating ports, making the quickest trip from major hub to major hub, and then offloading the containers at a transshipment hub for delivery to the final destination on smaller vessels.

Market and Geopolitical Trends favour AMEGA

AMEGA MTA’s Approach