Major Expansion of Cuba's Mariel Port

The Caribbean Maritime magazine has published in their "Grapevine" section for October-December 2011 that the Cuban Port of Mariel is undergoing a major expansion. Mariel, 28 miles west of Havana, is the largest port on the north coast of Cuba, second only to Havana. The first stage of the port development reportedly involves the construction of 765 yards of berthing space. This is expected to be completed by 2014. When completed, the terminal will have an annual capacity of about 850,000 teu, compared with Havana's 350,000 teu.

It is reported that all industrial port facilities of the Port of Havana will be moved to Mariel so as to free Havana harbor to handle cruise ships and recreational boating activity. Once this is accomplished, the industrial land area near the Port of Havana will be redeveloped for tourist and eco-friendly uses.

Mariel is tapped to be the location for logistics facilities for offshore oil exploration and will have a container terminal, cargo storage facilities, a marine technical school and an area for light manufacturing.

If you are interested in receiving a complete copy of the Caribbean Maritime article or wish to contact me, you may do so at miamipandi@comcast.net or motero@houckanderson.com.

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