Chile Approves Major San Antonio Port Expansion

Chile has officially approved the long-planned Puerto Exterior expansion at the Port of San Antonio, clearing the way for what is expected to become the largest port infrastructure project in the country’s history and a major new hub for container trade in South America.

The Valparaíso regional environmental commission unanimously approved the project’s environmental qualification resolution this week after a six-year review process involving public consultations, technical revisions, and discussions with indigenous communities.

The $4.45 billion project, developed through a public-private partnership, will significantly increase the capabilities of the Port of San Antonio, already Chile’s largest port, enabling it to accommodate the world’s largest container ships while tripling cargo handling capacity.

Plans for the expansion include the construction of a breakwater stretching nearly four kilometers, large-scale dredging operations, and two semi-automated terminals measuring around 1,730 meters each. Once fully completed, the expanded port is expected to handle up to 6 million TEU annually and host as many as eight 400-meter-long containerships at the same time.

Puerto San Antonio stated that the first phase of the project, which includes an 865-meter berth with annual capacity for 1.5 million TEU, is expected to begin operations around 2036.

The development comes as competition intensifies among Pacific coast ports in South America, particularly following Chinese-backed investment in Peru’s deepwater port at Chancay.