Progreso will be home to a new Mexican shiprepair and maintenance yard, under a letter of intent signed by shipbuilder Fincantieri and the Ministry of Economic Development and Labour of Yucatán state
Located within the deepwater port of Progreso, the shipyard will have two graving docks – among the largest in the Americas – capable of accommodating ships with lengths of 400 m, a lifting platform for 150-m vessels, about 1,000 m of docks, along with cranes, workshops, special equipment, offices and warehouses. Fincantieri will manage the yard under a 40-year concession.
Among the target markets for the new shiprepair yard are offshore vessels, cruise ships and container ships. Progreso is a deepwater port that connects Mexican textile and assembly operations to US markets, and is home to APM Terminals Yucatán, which has an annual capacity of 110,000 TEU.
Progreso also serves as a cruise destination and the port is located close to significant cruise traffic in the Caribbean, and offshore activity in the Gulf of Mexico.
Initially, the yard will be built by the Yucatán state government starting in H1 2021, with development phases extending to 2027. The government will manage the initial works through a special purpose company that will handle the dredging, and the construction of the infrastructure and main facilities.
Initially, Fincantieri will support development, working with partners to build workshops and lifting equipment, and installing the equipment and starting activities. The workforce will be trained both locally and in Italy at higher education institutes and at Fincantieri Academy.
Once the shipyard reaches full operational capacity, it will be able to support an estimated 700 full-time jobs, and supply a downstream network involving up to 2,500 workers during peak times.
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