New train tunnel through Manzanillo

I'm still pretty vague on parts of this project ... like how long it will take, were they able to buy all the private property needed and what parts will be elevated and which on ground level. It sounds like trains will remain at ground level most of the way and cars will pass over on a viaduct. The drawing shows an elevated train entrance and exit to the tunnel. This will eventually replace 10-15 road crossing for the railroad eliminating much of the downtown town traffic congestion and allow for heavier train flow. I've heard that construction has started and as it moves along should surely make entering the main port entrance and immigration difficult to say the least.

Map of the port area and entrance to the tunnel

Drawing of the port side of the tunnel

Elevated lagoon side of the tunnel

Conoce al detalle el Túnel Ferroviario en Manzanillo

Sam's Club to open this month

Sam's Club on schedule to open September 21st and discounted memberships are on sale now. Home Depot is scheduled to open in December

New Sam's Club

Drawing of Home Depot

Ven y Vive Manzanillo

New promotional video from Manzanillo tourism

Port of Manzanillo's Ecological project

To reduce the environmental damage generated by the construction of the second phase of the Specialized Container Terminal (ECT), the port of Manzanillo, Mexico, has started dredging canals and creating islands in the lagoon of the Valle de las Garzas, a protected area located in the vicinity of the maritime area.

With this work the port plans to allow more fluid entry into the lagoon, greater oxygenation and green islands will be built with an ecosystem by planting more than 15,000 mangrove plants. It's rumored that these islands will be connected by causeways with access for both recreational and scientific uses.

Here's a link to a page from the Port of Manzanillo which includes plans and fotos (in Spanish)

PROGRAMA DE RESTAURACION LAGUNA VALLE DE LAS GARZAS MEDIANTE DRAGADO DE CANALES Y CREACION DE ISLETAS

Presa Naranjo II progress

Manzanillo, Colima. - The director general of Colima National Water Commission (Conagua), Aaron Modesto Mendoza, reported that to date, the construction of the Dam El Naranjo has moved long 25% after hurricane " Jova "(October 2011) destroyed much of what was up. The work is on the border of Colima and Jalisco.

The head of Conagua noted that after the passage of Jova they have practically started from scratch to build the dam El Naranjo, which will irrigate more than 7,000 hectares and will provide water to neighboring municipalities. Its construction began in 2010 when it had projected an investment of $1.058 million pesos.

Elaborating on the issue of dams, announced in 2012 plans to complete construction of the "Hervidero" in Colima and Veladero de Camotlán in Manzanillo.

Home Depot and Sam's Club for Manzanillo

Home Depot to be built in Manzanillo

My foto of Home Depot in Colima

In announcing the project of building a Home Depot store in the port of Manzanillo, the second in the state, President and CEO of this company, Ricardo Saldivar Escajadillo said that Colima is in the midst of great economic development. Interviewed after meeting with the state governor, in order to present the draft Manzanillo, he said the new store represent an investment of 200 million pesos.

"We do it with great enthusiasm, because we are seeing a great economic development in Colima, we see progress in infrastructure and development projects of various kinds that are being carried out or planned developments in municipalities such as Manzanillo and Tecomán "he said. He highlighted a series of projects developed and managed by the state government in various areas, such as enlargement of the Colima-Guadalajara highway.

Saldivar says the investment also will generate several hundred jobs, especially during the construction of the store, "which will begin soon, and from its opening will directly employ over a hundred people, but as the store grows, the workforce will expand.

A Sam's Club is also supposed to open next door to Home Depot.  Both stores will about 20 blocks towards downtown Manzanillo from Soriana on Miguel de La Madrid.

Semi intersting note that newspapers stole my foto of the Home Depot in Colima above ... and then copyrighted it.

Indonesian KRI Dewaruc visits Manzanillo

This Indonesian tall ship arrived in the last few days and is acting as a sailing school for naval cadets, serves as a floating embassy for cultural, academic, and economic promotion. It has been visiting west coast Pacific ports for the last few months.

LNG regasification plant to get first shipment next week

Mexico City (Platts)--9 Mar 2012/213 pm EST/1913 GMT

After a seven-month delay, an initial shipment of LNG from Repsol's Camisea project in Peru will be delivered late next week to Mexico's newest regasification terminal at Manzanillo on the Pacific Coast, the state of Colima said Friday.

"We've been told there are going to be a couple of shipments a month at this stage, and the first is due to arrive on March 16," Alejandro Carbajal, a government spokesman, said Friday. "Then, on March 28, there will be a formal inauguration ceremony for the regasification plant," he added.

The 500,000 Mc/d regasification plant, built and owned by a consortium of Samsung and Mitsui, each with a stake of 37.5%, and Korea Gas, with 25%, is the third of its type in Mexico. The capacity owner is the Federal Electricity Commission.

Construction of the plant was completed early of last September, and CFE has not explained the delay in its start-up. Other sources, however, have said the main problem was a lack of planning.

They cite the fact that a channel into the lagoon meant to provide harbor for the LNG ships had to be dredged, and that took much longer than had been foreseen. In addition, a railroad and a highway around the lagoon had to be re-routed.

The regasification plant will form an energy hub for much of western Mexico. It will also mark the arrival of the CFE as a wholesaler of natural gas to rival the current domination of the state-owned oil company, Pemex.

A 300 km natural gas pipeline has already been built between Manzanillo and Guadalajara by TransCanada at a cost of about $348 million.

Guadalajara is Mexico's second largest city, with a population of some 4 million inhabitants.

Several power plants, one in Manzanillo, the other in Guadalajara, also will use gas from the regasification facility.

--Ron Buchanan, newsdesk@platts.com

President Felipe Calderon will be visiting Manzanillo to inaugurate the federal government project

A day at Immigration

I went to Manzanillo Wednesday to do my yearly Visa renewal and here's a few fotos from my new IPhone, that lost Internet BTW. Smart phones are cool until they mess up your account. I stopped by Telcel on the way back but I still don't have service.

Anyway, I always plan on a couple of hours in the Immigration office so there's time to walk around an get a few fotos of the port activities.    The new office entrance is just past this sign to the right instead of inside the main building like before.   Got there about 10am after trying to find a place to get my fotos.  One Farmacia Guadalajara's machine was broken, the other no people to serve you and the girl that works in the Kodak place in Commercial Mexicana was not there yet.   No problem I was told, bring your fotos in when you pick up your visa in 3 weeks.

After paying my renewal fee at the Military bank I returned and was the last one out at about 12:30.   Last year when I payed there the payroll clerk from the Navy base was getting cash for payday.  Must have been 30+ people in line waiting well over an hour.   This time not so bad.  You can pay that fee at any bank if you get caught in that situation.  I payed downtown a few years ago while waiting for fotos.

Sign on the Port Offices

Ship being loaded with containers

An hour later the same ship leaving port

View of downtown Manzanillo from the small pier near the port

Iphone fotos are not bad but there is no lens adjustment