APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas commences USD140 million expansion
APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas has begun the construction of its Phase II USD140 million expansion. This project will increase the capacity of the first semi-automated facility in Latin America with an additional one million TEUs and position it as a hub for the Americas region, according to the company's release.
During the expansion the yard will be increased by 15.7 hectares and the terminal operating system will be upgraded to use Navis N4. This is the world standard for operating systems in APM Terminals' global network, which combines best practises from around the world and centralised 24/7 specialist support to meet forecast volume requirements for both the medium and long term.
Following completion, scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, the terminal will be able to handle an annual throughput capacity of 2.2 million TEUs. The expansion supports the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) which entered into force on July 1, 2020.
The new phase includes new equipment to enhance port capacity, such as six automated rail-mounted gantry cranes, 14 new shuttle carriers, and four empty handlers.
APM Terminals has invested more than USD900 million to date in the terminal to boost Mexico’s competitiveness, fulfilling the company’s strategy to invest in emerging economies. The project will expand current terminal footprint to 65 hectares, including a total of seven triple electric ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, 14 automated stacking cranes, and 28 automated rail-mounted gantry cranes.
