Chiquita Brands International has invested in new infrastructure at Puerto Almirante in Panama, which specialises in the movement of containerised cargo for the region.
The company acquired at the end of 2018two mobile harbour cranes(Liebherr LHM 500) and 8 yard hustlers in order to have a better operational flow between the yard and the 312-metre quay.
With a capacity of 1,400 FEUs, the yard has more than 500 plugs with a remote monitoring temperature system.
“This year we achieved a historical milestone at the port when acquiring the new mobile harbour cranes and increasing by more than 100 per cent our port equipment at the yard,” saidAndres Vargas Prada, Chiquita’s director of logistics Latin America.
“This will enable us to achieve the highest standards of performance and efficiency at the port.”
Puerto Almirante is located in Bocas del Toro province in the western side of Panama close to the border with Costa Rica. The distance to the border with Costa Rica is 40km and to David, Panama is 178km. Sailing time to Limon, Costa Rica is 4-6 hours and to Cristobal/Manzanillo, Panama is 8-10 hours.
The port has all the required international certifications on port security and protection including ISPS since 2004 and CT-PAT certified tier 3 since 2008.
Security services include inspections on board, seal traceability, CCTV 24/7 monitoring with more than 60 cameras, a K9 unit and the presence of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Marine equipment includes tug boat assistance, pilot and security boat and equipment for underwater inspections. Yard equipment includes 14 yard hustlers, 4 top loaders, VGM certified scale, a brand new cross dock facility and M&R shops for intermodal equipment repairs.
The port works 24 hours a day, 365 days per year and currently has availability to attend new services in order to increase the imports / exports of the region.
