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New Baja Port May Be Up to Next President

Posted on: Wednesday, 14 December 2005, 12:00 CST

By Diane Lindquist, The San Diego Union-Tribune

Dec. 14--The leader of an Ensenada citizens group predicted yesterday that Mexico's next president will undertake the development of a major West Coast port in Baja California because of widespread support for the project.

Speaking to members of the San Diego World Trade Center, Antonio Martnez Pastor said the construction of a deep-water port and rail line at Punta Colonet south of Ensenada would relieve congestion at ports along North America's West Coast and boost economic development in Baja California.

"There's a new Mexico," Martnez said in comments after his talk at the University Club in downtown San Diego. "The bottom is now making a lot of pressure on the top."

While his citizens group Vida Ensenadense and corporate shipping interests are eager to see the port built, the decision on whether to proceed likely will depend on whoever wins Mexico's presidential election in July.

The current administration of President Vicente Fox has expressed support for the concept, but might not be able to start the process before a new president takes over.

"They are working on a plan, but nobody (locally) knows what it is," Martnez said.

Vida Ensenadense was the first to suggest locating a new port at Punta Colonet after the Mexican federal government proposed floating a bid for development of a rail line from the port of Ensenada to the U.S. border.

Martnez said the rail line would change the tourism orientation of Ensenada's economy to one based on the port and industry.

The group, which includes mainly Ensenada business and civic leaders, is interested in preserving Ensenada's character by putting a new port 75 miles, or two hours, to the south.

"The benefits as they were presented were not very much for the community," he said.

After conducting a study, Vida Ensenadense came up with the Punta Colonet alternative.

If the plan succeeds, Punta Colonet's expansive cove and about 13,000 adjacent acres would become a major maritime transportation and energy center.

Cargo would arrive from across the Pacific Rim and be shipped by rail to the interiors of Mexico and the United States.

Private companies would develop the project in return for multiyear operating contracts.

Martnez said one corporation is willing to invest $2 billion to develop the port, and others are interested as well.

An energy company has signed a letter of intent to build a $500 million, 600-megawatt electric generating plant. And the group hopes that a liquefied natural gas receiving terminal will be another part of the development.

"If we have something like that, we will be participating in the Pacific Rim," he said.

The group has asked Mexican federal officials to develop a master plan for the project, budget money for studies and create a legal framework that would set aside the land for development of the port and the rail line.

"We think that part will move kind of slow," Martnez said.

At best, the project could take shape within seven or eight years, he said.

"At this moment, it depends on the government."

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Copyright (c) 2005, The San Diego Union-Tribune

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Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune

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