Puerto Morelos, Q.R. — The Comprehensive Port Authority of Quintana Roo (Apiqroo) has completed several preliminary studies for a new deep-sea port. The completed studies include pre-feasibility, environmental, engineering and legal work to determine the viability of building a new industrial complex.
The industrial complex would be constructed in Puerto Morelos over 130 hectare area outside the reef zone on land donated to the state more than 15 years ago. The new Puerto Morelos port would become the logistics hub that would connect the Maya Train with the Interoceanic Corridor.
The industrial port is part of the Administración Portuaria Integral de Quintana Roo (Apiqroo) plan approved by the Ministry of the Navy (SEMAR) in June of last year.
According to the authorized 2024–2029 Port Development Master Plan, the facility will cover more than 130 hectares with general and containerized cargo port terminals, administrative offices and a liquid cargo terminal designed to ensure the supply of fuels and energy products in the region.
The new port would be Quintana Roo’s first large-scale industrial maritime infrastructure, allowing the state to reduce logistic costs, guarantee energy supplies by sea and connect to the Mexican rail system, positioning the state as a new player in regional logistics in the Caribbean.
According to Info-Transportes, the majority of commercial cargo and fuel consumed in the state of Quintana Roo arrives by land or sea routes from the U.S. with estimated logistics overcosts of between 15% and 20%.
Apirqoo Director Vagner Elbiorn Vega said that it would be the first port to move all the cargo generated by the state’s tourism industry. “We have just completed some pre-feasibility studies including environmental, engineering and legal aspects to determine if a large deep-sea port is possible and feasible.
“And yes, everything indicates that it is necessary, not just for cargo. Let’s remember that the Maya Train will soon have cargo and that will be very important for us to be able to receive the type of merchandise needed in the state,” he said.
Vega said since the beginning of Governor Mara Lezama’s administration, they have been searching for a suitable site to build a deep sea port to accommodate all cargo arriving in Quintana Roo by road from Puerto Progreso, Yucatan and Veracruz, since the costs are very high due to road transportation.
“We are looking to build a deep-water port where we can import and export with great depth. As you know, the current port we have in Puerto Morelos is only 4.5 meters deep which is very shallow and the vessels arriving are very small.
“We’ve already completed the pre-feasibility phase which gives us a little bit of a go-ahead as to whether it’s necessary and whether it can be done. Well, we are going to start with what time remains of the year. I think we’ll still be working with all the federal ministries in the first quarter of the next year because everything that’s done has to adhere to the legal framework.
We have to work with the Navy, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit, the governor’s office, etc. so now is when we’ll begin all the studies to see if it’s feasible to build this port,” he explained.
He said that the site where the deep-sea port is planned to be built in Puerto Morelos has a natural depth of 12 meters, but studies will determine whether dredging is necessary. If it were decided to do so, he said the depth could be increased to 14 or 16 meters.
“This would mean great connectivity which could become the first major deep-sea port in the Mexican Caribbean where we could receive vessels from Asia, Europe, North America, Central America and South America. That’s great news,” he said adding that “this would give Quintana Roo a new lease on life since the state currently relies 90 percent on tourism.”
