HPC Hamburg Port Consulting to Assess Cargo Growth Options at Buenaventura Terminal

Port News — 06/08/2026

Sociedad Portuaria Regional de Buenaventura S.A. (SPRBUN) has appointed HPC Hamburg Port Consulting (HPC), a subsidiary of HHLA, to develop a terminal optimization and business development strategy for its multipurpose port facility located in the Bay of Buenaventura, Colombia. The engagement will focus on terminal optimization, capacity utilization, and phased development scenarios for bulk, RoRo, and multipurpose cargo.

Buenaventura is Colombia's principal Pacific coast port, serving as a key gateway for the country's international trade and offering strategic access to Asian and North American West Coast markets. The terminal's diversification study comes as Latin American ports increasingly seek to capture growth in non-containerized cargo segments, including agricultural and energy commodities that move through the region.

The study will evaluate how existing terminal space, infrastructure, and cargo-handling assets can be deployed more effectively, while also identifying growth opportunities in solid bulk, liquid bulk, RoRo, and other multipurpose cargo segments. The approach will integrate terminal planning, market analysis, and financial modelling to underpin phased development options for the facility.

SPRBUN operates a multipurpose terminal in Buenaventura that handles containers, general cargo, solid bulk, liquid bulk, and RoRo. Although containers remain a significant component of the terminal's activity, the project will also examine the future role of non-containerized cargo and the commercial potential of a broader cargo portfolio.

"Buenaventura is located on Colombia's Pacific coast and plays a strategic role in the country's international trade. We are confident that significant opportunities exist to further strengthen our terminal's position across different cargo segments," said William Angarita, Director of Planning, Projects and Innovation at SPRBUN. "With HPC, we are looking at how our existing assets, cargo mix and operational set-up can support more efficient operations and a stronger position in selected growth areas."

A central focus of the study is solid bulk. SPRBUN is evaluating how it can participate more directly in the solid bulk value chain and which cargo flows present the strongest commercial potential. The scope of work will also encompass liquid bulk and RoRo opportunities, where market demand, operational feasibility, and investment requirements can be aligned.

Rather than pursuing a single expansion path, HPC will develop short-, medium-, and long-term scenarios. These will range from operational improvements and better utilization of existing capacity to phased layout and investment options capable of supporting future cargo growth.

HPC brings extensive experience in terminal planning, operations, market analysis, and financial modelling for ports and terminals worldwide. The firm previously supported SPRBUN with an integrated master plan for the Buenaventura terminal, providing the project team with established familiarity with the terminal's cargo mix, layout, and development context.

"This work is about connecting market opportunities with the physical and financial realities of the terminal," said Nuno Nunes, Vice-President Americas at HPC Hamburg Port Consulting. "By looking at cargo potential, capacity use, layout options and investment logic together, we can help define a practical development path for the next phase of Buenaventura's multipurpose operations."

By testing cargo growth, layout, and investment options across different time horizons, the strategy aims to reduce uncertainty before larger development decisions are made. The objective is to identify measures that can strengthen terminal performance while preserving flexibility for future growth.

Source: HHLA