Innovation at Callao Port recognised by industry Excellence Award

Callao Port in Peru has been announced as this year’s winner of the AAPA-CIP Award for Excellence in Technology and Innovation. Callao beat off competition from 24 applicants from both public and private ports, terminals, and port operators. Applications were described as being “of the highest calibre” from countries across North America, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The award is an acknowledgement of the many advances at the brownfield terminal. It comes from the Secretariat of Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP) of the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Latin American Delegation of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA).

Commitment to excellence

“In all cases, the applicants demonstrated great commitment to excellence in their operations, advancing the economic conditions of their communities and economies, and promoting strategic alliances with key stakeholders in their countries,” according to organisers. However, after a highly competitive process, Callao had the edge.

The Port’s implementation of automated gates and streamlining of entry procedures has reduced truck service times by 90%, as well as increasing capacity and efficiency. The APM Terminals group has invested more than US$520 million in the terminal since 2011 to create value in the supply chain and to prepare for the next stages of the modernization project.

Increased Ro-Ro capacity

The award highlighted several large-scale projects in which technology and innovation have been leading, such as the installation of RoRo Racks, designed to optimise space in the highly demanded terminal and alleviating the high post-COVID demand of rolling cargo. The terminal now has a capacity to store more than 1,000 vehicles in racks where previously only 400 could be stored at ground level.

Other advances that have contributed to increased efficiency as well as safety. Centralised control of new automated grain silos eliminates human risks in the manual opening of the dispatch gates, reduce load losses, enable traceability of the dispatched load, and the allows a greater number of gates to be activated simultaneously from the silo control room.
Since 2020 the multipurpose northern terminal of Callao works with a ‘Digital Twin’. This used by the project team uses to manage the terminal's infrastructure assets and test future innovations without impacting complex terminal operations.

Unique fire detection & control system

Callao is the only terminal on the central coast to operate an automatic fire detection and control system at its Hydrocarbon Pier, safeguarding hydrocarbon ships and, above all, the safety of operators who work remotely from a separate control room.

"We have a real and long-term commitment to the country and to promoting the development of the port sector in Peru,” said Leonardo Tello, Project Director of the Callao Port. In thanking the organisers for selecting Callao, he said it was an “enormous recognition.”

Speaking at the "TOC Americas" event last month, Fernando Fauche, Commercial Director of Callao Port, stressed that the organisation will continue to focus on "how to create value in the supply chain so that it flows more easily to the consumer".

The AAPA-CIP awards were launched in 2021 to recognize the importance of a competitive port industry for the region’s economic and social development.

The presentation of awards will take place at the XXX LATIN AMERICAN CONGRESS OF PORTS to be held in Santos - Brazil, November 28-30.