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Santa Marta International Terminal Company, S.A.

Environmental & Social Review Summary

This Environmental and Social Review Summary is prepared and distributed in advance of the IFC Board of Directors’ consideration of the proposed transaction. Its purpose is to enhance the transparency of IFC’s activities, and this document should not be construed as presuming the outcome of the Board of Director’s decision. Board dates are estimates only.
Any documentation which is attached to this Environmental and Social Review Summary has been prepared by the project sponsor and authorization has been given for public release. IFC has reviewed this documentation and considers that it is of adequate quality to be released to the public but does not endorse the content.
Project number 28544
Country
Colombia(IDA)
RegionLatin America and the Caribbean
SectorPort and Harbor Operations
DepartmentReg Ind, Infra & Nat Res, CAF/CLA
Company nameSanta Marta International Terminal Company, S.A.
Environmental categoryB
StatusActive
Date ESRS disclosedNovember 5, 2009
Last Updated DateFebruary 9, 2012
Previous EventsInvested: May 20, 2010
Signed: April 12, 2010
Approved: March 18, 2010
View Summary of Proposed Investment (SPI), click here

OverviewCategory & Applicable StandardsKey Issues & MitigationCommunity EngagementsClient's Documentation

Overview of IFC's scope of review
IFC’s appraisal of this project consisted of a review of environmental, social, health and safety (ESHS) information provided by Santa Marta International Terminal Company S.A. (“SMITCO”) and the Sociedad Portuaria de Santa Marta (“SPRSM”). It included a site visit to SPRSM’s facilities in the port City of Santa Marta, Colombia, where SMITCO will be located.

IFC reviewed the effectiveness of SMITCO’s and SPRSM’s ESHS and labor management activities and the ability of the organizations to ensure compliance with Colombian regulatory requirements and IFC’s Performance Standards during the project’s construction and operation. Specific items reviewed include: (a) Project’s environmental impact assessment and corresponding Environmental Management Plan (EMP) as currently approved by the local environmental authorities (b) human resources policies and management; and (c) ESHS management system and performance for the various existing operations in the SPRSM. ESHS performance of previous and existing IFC projects with Carrix Inc., one of SMITCO’s sponsors, and the operator of the container terminal, was also reviewed.

Even though there are grain and carbon handling and storage operations being conducted within the Port by Operadora Logistica de Santa Marta S.A. (“Operlog”) and Carbosan S.A. (“Carbosan”) that are not related to this project, IFC also conducted a quick review of their ESHS documentation and procedures.
Project description
The Project involves the refurbishment and operation by Santa Marta International Terminal Company, S.A. (“SMITCO”) of a container terminal inside the Port of Santa Marta, which is located on the Caribbean coast and is Colombia’s third largest port. The Project includes (i) the refurbishment of 2 berths with a combined total length of 322 meters; (ii) the installation of two Post-Panamax Ship-to-Shore cranes, four Rubber Tired Gantries cranes, and other terminal handing equipment to complement an existing mobile harbor crane; and (iii) the demolition of existing buildings and expansion of the container yard from 4 hectares to 8 hectares. Upon completion, the terminal’s container handling capacity will increase from 120,000 twenty foot equivalent container units (“TEUs”) to 300,000 TEUs.

SMITCO is 51% owned by SPRSM and 49% owned by Carrix, Inc. (“Carrix”) subsidiary SSA Holdings International Colombia, Inc. (“SSA”). Within the existing Port, SPRSM provides cargo handling services and operates its grain and coal terminals through two subsidiaries, Operadora Logistica de Santa Marta S.A. (“Operlog”) and Carbosan S.A. (“Carbosan”), respectively. The Port also has a passenger terminal for cruise ships.

Carrix is the world’s largest privately-held container terminal operator and cargo handling company, handling approximately 22 million TEUs per year at more than 180 locations worldwide, including 11 container terminals. IFC has a long-standing relationship with Carrix and has invested in 4 of Carrix’s terminals in the past 8 years, all of which have been compliant with IFC’s environmental and social standards.