Yesterday, Fernando Cilloniz, the regional governor of Ica, expressed his satisfaction with the development of infrastructure that will boost exports, especially agrarian exports, during the inauguration of the International Agricultural Symposium - Siagro, which will be held in Ica until July 14.
Some of the works he highlighted include the modernization of the port of Pisco, a project that has generated much support from citizens and will result in great savings for exporters.
"The concessionaires tell us that we'll have a very modern port in two years that will allow the whole south, Arequipa and Ica, to export and ship their cargo in Pisco instead of in Callao, which is a congested, unsafe, dangerous, inefficient and inconvenient port. There is talk of 400 to 500 dollars per container with a first class service, so we are delighted with the news regarding port matters," he said.
In addition to this project, the country is working on the megaport of Marcona, which would be three times bigger than the one in Pisco, and that is being developed by the mining company Shougang, that will double its yearly iron production. "The port will be built by miners with their own resources, but it will be multipurpose. They will ship containers, not only of iron ore but of all kinds of merchandise. Thus, Peru, and Ica, will have two large ports, Pisco and another larger one in Marcona, all within two years," he said.
Freeway and commuter train
Fernando Cilloniz also celebrated that the highway between Pisco and Chincha was practically ready, as it should be finished in a couple of months. He added that Proinversion also had a proposal to build another road in Ica and a dual carriageway in Palpa to give speed to the agricultural industry and other activities such as tourism.
He also stressed that the suburban train project between Ica, Lima and Barranca proposed by President Kucczynsk was taking shape with a Chinese company that was already doing the studies to carry out a technical file so as to conduct a bid by the end of the year. "It is a big work of about 4 billion dollars, which would be ready in about 10 years. It is much more important than other projects, such as the Talara refinery that will cost Peru $7 billion dollars," he said.
Water and energy use
He also spoke about the expectations regarding the water community between Ica and Huancavelica, stating that the Cobra company was in the final study phase for the transfer of the Pampas River to the Ica river. "There will be an 80 million cubic meters dam above Ica to save the rainwater and there will be transfer to infiltrate Villacuri, generating water to Pisco. Cobra is studying a reinforcement alternative in Castrovirreyna of 40 to 50 million cubic meters, so that all Pisco and Ica will have water all year round. This year is for studies. Next year they will start works, which will last about five years because the dam is large," he said.
Finally, he said there was positive news for Ica regarding the energy sector, as the Electrodunas company had just inaugurated a 20 megawatt plant and was building an identical one in Alto Laran, Chincha. In addition, the French company Gas y Energía was already doing the environmental impact study to build a 500 million-dollar mega plant in Humay. All this development will have an unexpected positive impact on the fruit processing industry.
"The thermal plant and the Electrodunas plants to be built in Humay will generate a lot of heat and they are offering that energy almost for free, so long as it can be used in the immediate vicinity of the facilities. As the heat produces cold, they are asking me to get in touch with businessmen who process and send fruits because, if they are located in areas adjacent to these thermal plants, their energy would almost be free and that would allow the region to better use its energy resources," he said.
Source: agraria.pe