Port of Mamonal Coal Terminal

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The Port of Mamonal is a port located on the bay of Cartagena, along the north coast of Colombia. For the past decade, Mamonal's bulk terminal has been the main terminal handling coal exports from the Cartagena area.

Location

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Background

The Port of Mamonal began exporting coal and coke in 2001. In 2007, the Colombian government mandated that all coal terminals install direct vessel-loading systems to reduce environmental risks. Delays in compliance with this mandate led to a suspension of coal shipments from the port of Mamonal between 2013 and 2016. Following the installation of mechanized coal-handling equipment in 2016, coal traffic at the port resumed, with contemporaneous news reports focusing on the port's enhanced capacity for metallurgical coal and coke handling. Since 2017, publicly reported port statistics have classified the cargo shipped through Mamonal only as "bulk coal," without distinguishing thermal from metallurgical coal.

In late 2010, the maritime news magazine Fairplay Weekly listed Puerto De Mamonal as one of several Colombian ports planning expansion of their coal export facilities, and noted that the port had been "planning upgrades for two years or more... to bring the facility into compliance with government requirements to install direct ship-loading equipment." However, the same article noted that "Puerto Mamonal has yet to place any orders for machinery and, in spite of having been closed for two weeks earlier this year for environmental violations, it appears in no hurry to modernise."

In May 2012, port director José Arsenio Galvis reported that modernization plans were moving ahead, that the port had invested $50 million in direct loading facilities, and that they were expected to be in place by January 2013. Around the same time, Manuel Campos, manager of ports in Colombia's National Infrastructure Agency reportedly listed Mamonal as one of Colombia's top four coal port expansion projects, with direct load facilities to be developed by Drummond.

In June 2012, Colombian Senator Lidio García Turbay expressed concern as to whether the port was fully complying with environmental regulations during the expansion and called for an investigation by Cartagena's environmental authority.

The port ceased its coal-related activities indefinitely in early 2013, citing low global prices and lack of demand.

In January 2014, the Colombian government cited Puerto de Mamonal as one of four ports that had still not complied with the new government requirement for direct loading facilities. In response, port director José Arsenio Galvis stated that Puerto de Mamonal had ceased shipping coal as of early 2013 due to the global drop in coal prices; however, Mr. Galvis maintained that most of the equipment required by the Colombian government was already in place, and that the remainder would arrive by late January and be installed by mid-2014. In the meantime, Mr. Galvis stated that Puerto de Mamonal was only shipping coke, which was not subject to the government's direct loading requirements.

In June 2014 Colombia's environmental regulatory agency ANLA issued a report that officially removed sanctions against the port, based on a January 2 onsite visit which confirmed Mr. Galvis' claims that no coal was being shipped from Mamonal. The government report further noted that the port only had 10,000 metric tons of coal remaining in its warehouses, and had no plans to ship it due to lack of demand and low global prices.

In February 2016, Puerto de Mamonal unveiled a $118 million expansion that included a deep-water berth and mechanized systems for the safe receipt and direct ship-loading of metallurgical coal and coke. The new pier was designed to accommodate vessels measuring 250 meters in length and 35 meters in beam, with an operational draft of 14 meters. The upgraded port infrastructure included platforms for receiving and unloading incoming minerals, as well as hoppers, stackers, conveyor belts, and a complete direct-to-ship loading system.

Coal handling capacity

Colombia's national mining agency has listed Mamonal's coal handling capacity as 23.5 Mtpa. However, this figure is at odds with ANLA resolution 619 from August 8, 2012, which only authorized 2 Mtpa of annual coal handling at the port; it is also inconsistent with the actual bulk coal handling figures for Mamonal port as recorded by the Colombian government, which have never exceeded 2 Mtpa. In light of the above, 2 Mtpa appears to be a more accurate figure for the port's capacity.

Coal throughput statistics

• 2016 0 tonnes
• 2017 25,305 tonnes
• 2018 1,510,477 tonnes
• 2019 1,508,170 tonnes
• 2020 1,450,891 tonnes
• 2021 1,489,988 tonnes
• 2022 1,392,121 tonnes
• 2023 1,682,380 tonnes
• 2024 392,033 tonnes
• 2025 53,548 tonnes

Environmental concerns

In July 2019, a video circulated on social networks, raising concerns about possible contamination of the port's waters due to alleged improper handling of coal residue.

Project Details

• Operator: Puerto de Mamonal S.A.
• Location: Cartagena, Bolívar Department, Colombia
• Annual Coal Capacity (Tonnes): 2 mtpa
• Status: Operating
• Start Year: 2001
• Type: Exports
• Coal source: Colombia

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