Chile’s San Antonio Port expansion secures environmental approval after six-year review, unlocking USD 4.45 billion construction phase

The Valparaíso Regional Environmental Assessment Commission granted unanimous approval on May 27, 2026 to the San Antonio Exterior Port project, concluding a six-year permitting process that included indigenous consultation and three rounds of public participation. The resolution allows Empresa Portuaria San Antonio to proceed with construction of a four-kilometer breakwater, two new container terminals, dredging operations, and access infrastructure. The project represents a public-private investment of USD 4.45 billion, with the Chilean state contributing USD 1.95 billion for the breakwater, backup areas, access routes, and environmental mitigation measures. Private concessionaires will provide the remaining USD 2.5 billion for terminal construction, equipment, and operations.

Five international consortia have pre-qualified for the breakwater construction tender: Van Oord of the Netherlands, Jan De Nul of Belgium, China Harbour Engineering Company, the Dragados-Sacyr consortium from Spain, the CRCC consortium comprising China Railway Construction Corporation and CRCC Harbour and Channel Engineering Bureau, and the Acciona-Hyundai partnership. Bid opening is scheduled for July 2026, with contract award expected before year-end. Construction would begin in 2027, with breakwater completion projected between 2033 and 2034 to enable the first operational phase.

The project will develop in four stages aligned with demand projections. The first phase, targeted for 2036, will deliver an 865-meter berth with annual capacity of 1.5 million TEU. At full build-out in 2046, the facility will handle 6 million TEU annually, equivalent to approximately 60 million tons of cargo, through two semi-automated 1,730-meter terminals capable of simultaneously accommodating eight vessels of 400 meters length. The expansion will triple San Antonio’s current transfer capacity and generate 4,000 direct jobs during construction and operations.

Environmental commitments include establishing the Lagunas de Llolleo Park to protect a wetland north of the Maipo River estuary, increasing formal environmental protection in the area by 25 percent. Design specifications incorporate physical and acoustic barriers plus controlled lighting to avoid disrupting nesting cycles of waterfowl populations. The project also includes resettlement programs for 217 properties in Brisas del Mar and Juana Aspee neighborhoods, support for artisanal chinchorro fishing, and consultation protocols with Mapuche Lafquenche communities.