Riviera Maya, Q.R. — Smaller barges will be used to transport ballast material from Cuba to Quintana Roo. The Cuban vessels used up until now have proven challenging due to their size.
The Integral Port Administration of Quintana Roo (Apiqroo) says they will continue with the transfer of porphyrite to Quintana Roo but with smaller barges. The two vessels that have arrived have proven to be too large to reach the coast of Puerto Morelos, which created complications.
Apiqroo head Vagner Elbiorn says that vessels of a more adequate size are being looked into. “In Puerto Morelos, there is a small port which means large ships cannot reach it to unload.
“The vessel Melody was anchored off the coast and had small barges unloading it, however now, they are looking into using barges of a more adequate size to load in Cuba, which will travel to Puerto Morelos where they will not have to be anchored on the high seas.”
Melody was the first to arrive in Quintana Roo with the Maya Train material. Due to the shallow waters, the boat was anchored off the coast of Puerto Morelos. After sitting for several days, divers videoed reef damage.
The two vessels that arrived from Cuba were diverted to the Port of Progreso in the neighboring state of Yucatan. From there, the stone material has been unloaded and trucked back into Quintana Roo.
The stone material shipments from Cuba are expected to continue until December.
