🔔 Subscribe to ShipUniverse Weekly →
Neltume Ports, the majority shareholder of Montecon, has formally submitted a proposal to Uruguay’s government for a new $900 million specialized container terminal at the Port of Montevideo. The planned Montevideo Container Terminal would provide capacity for up to 1.15 million TEU annually, approximately 940 meters of quay for two latest-generation post-Panamax vessels, a dedicated berth for barge transshipment, about 38 hectares of operating area and independent landside access. Neltume estimates construction could support 1,800 jobs. The proposal arrives days after Neltume ended a $600 million ICSID arbitration against Uruguay without compensation from the state. It also follows a February court ruling that struck down a provision restricting new specialized terminals until incumbent Terminal Cuenca del Plata reached 85% of capacity for two consecutive years, although the ruling left TCP’s concession and priority position in place. No concession structure, construction schedule or opening date for MCT has yet been announced.
Montevideo Container Terminal Proposal
Neltume Ports is proposing a second specialized container terminal designed around deep-sea liner calls, regional transshipment and barge connectivity.
Neltume describes MCT as the largest private port investment proposal presented in Uruguay.
The new facility would add more than one million TEU of specialized annual capacity.
Designed to accommodate two latest-generation post-Panamax ships simultaneously.
The concept includes independent access plus advanced technology and security systems.
No concession award, construction schedule or operating date has yet been disclosed.
Montevideo Container Market Board
The proposal would place a second specialized terminal alongside an incumbent facility already undergoing a major long-term expansion.
| Terminal / Indicator | Infrastructure | Capacity & Cargo | Investment / Ownership | Commercial Position | Status / Regulatory Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROPOSED Montevideo Container Terminal MCT | Approximately 940 metres of quay, around 38 hectares of operating area, independent landside access and a dedicated barge-transshipment berth. | 1.15M TEU / Year Designed for two latest-generation post-Panamax vessels at the same time. | $900M Proposed by Neltume Ports, the controlling shareholder behind Montecon. | Designed to compete for Uruguayan cargo and regional hub traffic linked to Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. | Formally submitted to the Uruguayan government for evaluation. No concession award, construction start or opening date has been announced. |
| INCUMBENT Terminal Cuenca del Plata TCP | Expansion plan adds approximately 700 metres of quay to create more than 1,300 metres across the terminal, together with additional yard area and new handling equipment. | >2.5M TEU / Year Katoen Natie's expansion plan targets capacity above 2.5 million TEU annually. | TCP is 80% controlled by Katoen Natie interests and 20% owned by Uruguay's National Ports Administration. | Existing specialized container terminal with priority in container vessel operations under the current port framework. | Concession extended for 50 years in 2021, taking the term to 2081. The broader arrangement survived Montecon's legal challenge. |
| EXPANSION TCP Investment Program | New quay, reclaimed terminal land, ship-to-shore cranes, horizontal handling equipment, truck-access upgrades and new IT systems. | Intended to accommodate the newest generation of container vessels and materially expand Montevideo's hub capability. | The original 2021 commitment was approximately $455 million. September 2026 reporting describes the broader investment program at about $600 million, with roughly $320 million executed. | Provides the incumbent with substantial additional capacity while MCT is still at proposal stage. | Construction remains under way as Neltume seeks authorization for a competing specialized facility. |
| 2025 ACTUAL Port Container Traffic | Activity spans TCP and other public-port berths. | 857,491 TEU Montevideo handled 479,392 physical containers during 2025. | Port-wide traffic figure rather than revenue or terminal investment. | Total container activity remained well below the future nominal capacity contemplated by the competing terminal expansion plans. | ANP reported that physical container movements fell approximately 25% during 2025. |
| JAN-JUL 2026 Current Traffic Run Rate | 198,590 physical containers were handled at the specialized terminal and 86,425 at other berths during the seven-month period. | 512,463 TEU Equivalent to roughly 878,500 TEU on a simple 12-month annualized basis if the same monthly pace were maintained. | Transit and transshipment movements accounted for 211,699 TEU during January through July. | Regional cargo remains material to Montevideo's container business, supporting both terminals' emphasis on hub traffic. | ANP labels the January-July figures preliminary. |
| FEBRUARY 2026 85% Restriction Removed | The issue concerned authorization of additional specialized container terminals rather than physical port infrastructure. | The cancelled provision would have required TCP to exceed 85% of annual capacity for two consecutive years before another specialized terminal could be authorized. | No investment value attached. | Its annulment removes one explicit regulatory barrier that had limited the path to another specialized terminal. | The TCA nevertheless upheld the wider TCP framework, including its concession and priority status. |
| SEPTEMBER 2026 Neltume Arbitration Ends | International investment dispute rather than a terminal construction contract. | Neltume and Montecon had challenged Uruguay over the port framework introduced after the TCP agreement. | $600M Claim Neltume irrevocably withdrew the arbitration. | The settlement removes a major dispute between the proposed investor and the Uruguayan state. | Uruguay said it accepted no liability, provided no compensation and assumed no conditions under the settlement. |
Montevideo Container Capacity & Demand Analyzer
Model future container demand against the proposed MCT and expanded TCP capacity, including terminal capture rates and the cargo growth needed to support higher system utilization.