International miner and commodity trader Glencore Xstrata said May 29 that the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, accompanied by senior members of his administration, will officially open Prodeco’s new coal port, Puerto Nuevo.
Part of the Prodeco Group, the construction of Puerto Nuevo commenced in 2010 and represents a $550m investment in Colombia by Glencore. The state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment at Puerto Nuevo represents a key milestone in the development of the Colombian coal industry, the company noted.
The port is the first in Ciénaga to implement a direct loading system for coal. The port’s initial annual export capacity will be approximately 21 million metric tons with the coal being transported to markets including North America, Europe and Asia. Key statistics relating to the operations at Puerto Nuevo include:
- unloading station for trains with a 8,000 tonne/hour capacity;
- coal storage yard with a capacity of 1.1 million tonnes;
- 7 kilometers of covered conveyor belts that can transport 8,000 t/h supported by a buffer silo with a capacity of 2,500 tonnes;
- 1.7-kilometer access pier that can receive Cape-size vessels of up to 180,000 DWT.
Ivan Glasenberg, Chief Executive of Glencore Xstrata, commented: “We are honoured that the Colombian President has recognised Glencore’s ongoing commitment to and investment in Colombia by officially opening Puerto Nuevo. The opening marks a milestone for our Colombian operations, enhancing Prodeco’s ability to meet the requirements of its customers around the world.”
Glencore Xstrata is one of the world’s leading integrated producers and marketers of commodities, headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, and listed on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges.
Prodeco holds Glencore Xstrata’s Colombian export thermal and metallurgical coal mining operations. It is involved in the exploration, production, transportation and shipment of high grade thermal coal from its mines to markets principally in Europe and the Americas. Prodeco consists of two open pit coal mining operations (Calenturitas and La Jagua), export port facilities and Puerto Nuevo, as well as a 40% share in Fenoco, a company which holds the concession to the railway linking Prodeco’s mines to the export ports.
