Puchuncaví: PVSA's strategic role in Chilean port logistics

Luis Fuentes, Sustainable Operations Manager of Puerto Ventanas S.A. (PVSA), a subsidiary of the Sigdo Koppers group, highlighted the strategic role of the commune of Puchuncaví, Valparaíso Region, for Chile and the need to promote new sustainable developments that require territorial enablement.

"At PVSA, we are committed to local employability and the development of the port vocation of the commune of Puchuncaví; to achieve this, it is essential to enhance the opportunities that this area offers for the local, national, and - above all - the country's foreign trade," said Fuentes during the first seminar of the Puchuncaví 2030 cycle.

This space specifically addressed Puchuncaví's role in the challenges of cross-border mining development, and regarding this, the executive of the Sigdo Koppers subsidiary highlighted that "Argentina has an exit to the Pacific through the Centauro bioceanic corridor, which offers the shortest and most efficient route; Puerto Ventanas positions Puchuncaví as a logistics platform for trans-Andean mining, especially in a context of strong demand for critical minerals."

Previously, the Sustainable Operations Manager of PVSA highlighted the port's capacity to receive cargo bimodally and simultaneously load 30,000 tons of copper concentrate at two berths. He also valued the high social and environmental standards with which the facility operates, key elements to make cargo growth compatible with the future sustainable shipment of Argentine mineral.

Fuentes also emphasized that the development of Puchuncaví "must be built with local communities and authorities, so that each new development translates into good news for Puchuncaví and creates conditions for sustainable development, because when Puchuncaví grows, the well-being of everyone in the community also grows."

"In this sense, the current discussion and decisions that the authorities adopt regarding the Valparaíso Metropolitan Regulatory Plan (Premval) are key to enabling this potential that benefits the commune, the region, and the country," he added.

Within the framework of the dialogue cycle, the Minister of Energy, Ximena Rincón, commented that "Puchuncaví is the gateway for energy to Chile and the heart of national storage. Puerto Ventanas plays a strategic role in the contribution that this territory makes to the country's development; therefore, with a medium and long-term vision and coordination with different actors, we can make a difference."

For his part, the Mayor of the commune of Puchuncaví, Marcos Morales, specified that the country must recognize the locality's commitment to national and communal development. "Today it has become clear that territorial distribution tools such as Premval influence Puchuncaví's activity. We have to push ports like PVSA, which has applied technology and a vision for the future, and which means work and progress," he stressed.

Finally, it should be remembered that at the beginning of July, Seacape and PVSA inaugurated a new logistics center in Puchuncaví to provide comprehensive port services for the metallurgical and manufacturing industry of Chile.