GL has owned and operated the first and still the only 100% privately owned port in Panama ("A gem in the rough" - Fairplay Magazine, May 2004). GL owns the island of Samba Bonita, roughly 5 nautical miles ENE from the Caribbean Terminal of the Panama Canal astride the protected waters of the Cativa Estuary that feeds into Las Minas Bay and the Caribbean Sea.

The port boasts of natural maritime ways that require minimal maintenance dredging and is in the process of improving the approaches and turning basin draft to allow for berthing of the latest class of ultra large bulk and container carriers.

Port of Samba Bonita

The port aims to provide full service to ships transiting the Panama Canal, as well as those requiring too much draft for the Panama Canal who need to transship excess loads via rail or as a storage terminal pending future voyages. Towards that end, GL seeks to install sufficient graveyard docks and deep water berthing to satisfy the needs of a full service shipyard.

Development Plan

GL is engaged in dredging the maritime approaches and turning basins at PSB to provide 16.5 meter drafts, thus being the first port in the Caribbean Basin to provide full port services for ultra-large bulk carriers, ultra-large container carriers and other vessels. To provide a full service, GL seeks to improve its PSB Shipyard service to include 3 graveyard docks, over 2 km of dock-space, large capacity marine-rail, ample bulk liquids storage facilities, and both a dry and bulk terminal facility. Lastly, PSB will seek to capture overflow capacity from other nearby ports hampered by space constraints such as Manzanillo International Terminal, Colon Container Terminal, and Cristobal. As part of a collaborative effort, PSB will seek to establish a rail link and direct access roads with the above ports.

As part of the development plan PSB completed the expansion of its north pier (C Engineering). PSB has submited Enviromental Impact Statement for adding 1.9 km of seawall along its north and east coasts together with landfill and future piers. PSB has approved Enviromental Impact Statements for dredging the turning basins and maritime ways, and is further developing portions of the eastern side of the Port as an LPG fuel complex to support power generation in Panama.

Projects

• SAMBA BONITA SHIPYARD
• SAMBA BONITA LIQUIDS TERMINAL
• SAMBA BONITA BULK TERMINAL
• SAMBA BONITA CONTAINER TERMINAL