An essential port for Colombian energy

Colombia

Raúl Pérez Tatis, general manager of Puerto Bahía, talks to The Energy Year about the strategic strengths of the port and how it can support both hydrocarbons and clean energy developments. Puerto Bahía is a multi-purpose terminal in the bay of Cartagena owned 99.7% by Frontera Energy.

How has Puerto Bahía’s strategic location and multimodal nature made it an essential terminal in Colombia?
Puerto Bahía’s location gives it two main competitive advantages. First, the terminal is located in a deepwater basin that gives it a natural draft of 20 metres. In terms of hydrocarbons, this is useful for bringing in ships of up to 1.2 million barrels. Secondly, the Bay of Cartagena also has access to the Canal del Dique, which connects to Colombia’s main river, the Magdalena.
Puerto Bahía also holds 85% of the market share of roll-on/roll-off cargo arriving in Colombia’s Caribbean region. Every month, we receive 13-15 vessels with ro-ro cargo from multiple destinations such as the US, Europe, Brazil and Mexico.
We also have the capacity to receive bulk cargo of 250,000 tonnes per year, container and project cargo. Altogether, we have created a critical hub which connects to busy maritime routes and offers the possibility of accessing fluvial routes (the Magdalena River), and all of this with a favourable draft to manage bulk and large-capacity cargo.
While less than 2% of cargo moves fluvially in Colombia, around 70% of all hydrocarbon cargo Puerto Bahia handles moves as multimodal via the Magdalena River. We can receive large vessels and then use a multimodal barge system to transport that cargo up the river. These operations are critical for the further development of the Magdalena River.
To make this possible, we have a specialised dock to handle barges. We have also invested in additional infrastructure so that the ship berths can include loading and unloading of liquid barges for products such as crude oil and refined products.

What capacities does the port’s hydrocarbons terminal have in terms of reception and storage?
We have three docks that serve different functions. Our hydrocarbons dock has two berthing positions with a depth of up to 20 metres, which allows us to receive vessels of up to 1.2 million barrels with an operational rate of 35,000 barrels per hour. This dock is exclusively dedicated to deep-draft liquid vessels. We also have a barge unloading dock and a mixed dock, which can handle vessels of up to 500,000 barrels and barges.
This infrastructure is enabled for the import/export of crude oil, naphtha, HFO [heavy fuel oil] and diesel. The main export product we currently handle is HFO and the main import product is naphtha, which is used as a diluent for crude oil. Our main customers are Ecopetrol, Trafigura and Frontera.
As for our operational storage capacity, it is 2.4 million barrels, distributed across eight storage tanks – around 300,000 barrels each. Our tanks are interconnected and heated, which allows us to carry out blending and preheating of products and also to receive extra-viscous products. Likewise, we have tanks for both crude oil and refined products, and all of our tanks have a floating roof.
Lastly, Puerto Bahía operates the tanks and the vessels, and we are also in charge of the dispatch and receipt of liquids through barges or trucks, giving our customers a one-stop solution for their logistics.

How is Puerto Bahía embracing technology that automates and safeguards its operations?
Our port is automated for everything involving ship receipt, product operation, storage, and dispatch. In addition to this, we are at the forefront of Industry 4.0 and we recently sealed an agreement with Claro and Nokia in which we are applying LTE [long-term evolution] technology. This system helps us in the automation of tasks, data analysis and other uses when operating. We have also installed antennas all around the perimeter of Puerto Bahía to enhance connectivity.
We have made major investments in security-related technology. State-of-the-art technology gives customers the certainty that their cargo will be safe and free from any type of vandalism or contamination.
In this regard, we are the only port in Colombia using the latest radar technology. These sensors are located on the periphery of the port and in strategic locations. Using the most current system on the market and new AI technology, we can detect if there is unusual activity, and our security team is automatically alerted. In Puerto Bahía we implement the most advanced technology to enhance our customers’ experience.

How is the port backing sustainability initiatives?
Sustainability is a core value of our day-to-day operations and practices. As a multipurpose port, our main role is to serve as an enabler of sustainable action in the country, aligned with the energy transition. We want to become a port that generates all the conditions to cater to new market segments, such as the import of wind blades and renewables equipment and infrastructure.
As a result of our commitment to sustainability, we have implemented initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint, create energy efficient consumption, manage waste sustainably at the terminal and encourage all our employees to identify and help implement ideas that result in more sustainable and efficient processes. An employee-led idea led to us changing some of our gasket systems, which reduced our gas consumption by up to 40%.
We have made important strides in becoming a zero-waste facility, including the recycling of 97% of our hazardous material, eliminating all single-use plastics, recycling all waste and having an in-house compost plan. Through initiatives such as these, we have managed to not only improve our environmental performance but also to save more than USD 1 million per year.
When it comes to renewables, we are now in the final stage of a bidding process to build an in-house solar park that can generate 1 million kWh per year. This solar venture will help us replace 20-30% of our current energy consumption and construction should start during Q4 2024.

Can you see Puerto Bahía becoming a clean energy hub in the Caribbean?
Puerto Bahía rests on a land plot of 155 hectares [1.55 square kilometres], of which only one-third is currently in use. This opens up plenty of opportunities for expansion and our aim is to use this land to develop energy projects and continue to connect communities. We believe that the energy logistics map is going to change radically in the next two decades, and we intend to be a relevant player throughout this transition.
We have very favourable conditions for this. We have a deep-sea port and access to the Magdalena River for multimodal connectivity, and we represent a critical focal point in the triangulation between the Gulf of Mexico, the Panama Canal and Colombia.
We already have docks with pipelines and tanks to safely move hydrocarbons, and these could also accommodate LNG, LPG and even ammonia and hydrogen in the near future. Our goal is to transform Puerto Bahía into a clean energy hub for the whole Caribbean region.

Tell us about the new joint project with Gasco to build an LPG facility in Colombia.
In July 2024, Puerto Bahía entered into an agreement with Gasco to develop an LPG project in Colombia. The project, set to come on line in 2027, involves the development and operation of a port terminal capable of importing and storing more than 20,000 tonnes of LPG. Additional phases may be added to capture larger volumes, depending on the market demand for LPG.
The joint project entails an estimated investment of USD 50 million-60 million. The facility will be built at our state-of-the-art liquids and dry cargo port terminal. Moreover, the project will capitalise on increasing LPG supply deficits in the Colombian market at a time when the LPG market is expected to grow at 4% per year. This collaboration demonstrates Puerto Bahía’s commitment to the development of our country’s energy infrastructure.

Read our latest insights on:

• Brazil
• Colombia
• Mexico