Currently, the Port of Caldera has quite a limited capability as to ship sizes it can cater to. Technically, the port needs to be dredged at least every four years in order to assure that large ships won’t get stuck when docking at the port.
The last time Caldera was dredged was back in 1999 and since has had sediment built up of at least 16 feet. This has caused a number of setbacks and extra money to several companies. Due to the area’s depth, ships have to wait for the tide to go up in order to enter the port. This also means that several companies have to pay a fine for every hour they fall behind.
Other shipping companies have opted to hire smaller vessels to transport their cargo from the open sea to the port. This option also means that companies have to incur in extra expenses since most of the time the smaller vessels have to make several trips back and forth.
The port hadn’t been dredged in the last 9 years due to postponement by the Costa Rican Institute of Pacific Ports as they waited for the Caldera Port concessionaire to take responsibility.
The current concession holder has been in charge since 2006 and has announced that works will commence next week. An approximate investment of $5 million has been revealed and the task will be carried out by a Colombian company. The dredging of the Caldera Port will restore the port’s original 36 foot depth.
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