This was recognized by the World Bank's Port Performance Index 2022 report, which measures and compares the performance of containerized port terminals around the world. Out of a total of 348 ports evaluated, Puerto Cortés, from 144th position in 2021, now occupies the 94th position, the only Central American port within the top 100 ports globally.

The index developed by the organization measures the performance of ports based on the time a vessel remains in the terminal, taking into consideration berthing times, operational times, maneuvering times, net productivity, among others. The collection of this data is intended to identify trends and improve the overall efficiency of container ports worldwide.

The data used in the CPPI (Port Performance Index) is based on the World Bank's Performance Program, which takes into account 10 of the largest shipping lines around the world. Together they operate about 80% of the world's containers. These carriers report their movement estimates.

Upon receipt of the information from the shipping lines, the data is subjected to several validation and quality checks before being mapped to historical AIS (Automatic Identification System) vessel movement data, which allows tracking and verification of the shipping lines' information.

Most container port performance metrics are constructed and validated from a combination of empirical shipping line data and AIS movement data, which allows for the construction of more accurate figures.

The results achieved by Puerto Cortés in the World Bank's Port Performance Index are due to the high international standards implemented by Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana, the investment in equipment, technology and infrastructure, as well as the terminal's berthing window system, which optimizes the operation of the vessels handled annually, completely eliminating waiting times in the harbor.

With this system, vessels arrive at the terminal at a predefined time, and operate without delay, with high productivity. Puerto Cortés also has import shifts, which facilitates the clearance of containers, allowing better planning and avoiding additional delays for transport.

Since operations began in february 2014 to date, OPC has doubled the productivity of the vessels, going from 19 movements per hour to more than 40 movements per hour average, this data is influenced by the number of cranes and the speed with which they operate. The world average for all vessels is 23.5 movements per hour, which indicates that Puerto Cortes is well above the global average.

Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana (OPC) is a subsidiary of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), one of the world's leading international terminal operators. Present in 6 continents and 20 countries with 33 terminals, the company has the experience and structure to contribute to the transformation of logistics chains worldwide, and of course the Central American Atlantic.

The World Bank's Port Performance Index data also indicates that Puerto Cortes is ranked 3rd in relation to the other ports in the ICTSI group in the Latin American region. The top two container ports in the group, Buenaventura, considered with 3 terminals and Rio de Janeiro with 2 terminals.

Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana has innovated and generated change and transformation in Central America through the implementation of state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology, the continuous improvement of processes based on international standards, and constant training of the work team, which has led to substantial improvements in regional logistics with a direct impact on transportation costs throughout the region's logistics chains.

The investment of more than US$280 million (the largest in the history of the CA-4 and Belize ports) is a sign of the commitment to Honduras and the Mesoamerican region, with which the terminal follows the trends of the world's leading ports, where productivity and competitiveness improve costs in the logistics chain, which has a positive impact on economic growth, creating employment opportunities and raising the population's income levels.

Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana seeks not only to be a profitable company, but also to improve economic, social and environmental conditions in the communities, thus evolving towards the concept of shared value, an optimal win-win scenario.

Translated by: A.M