San Nicolás Argentina’s hub for fertiliser
In Argentina, the Port of San Nicolás has established itself as both the country's principal fertiliser import and warehousing hub, states Cecilia Comerio, president of the San Nicolás Port Management Consortium. In part, this has been achieved because of the port’s distinct management model, which is unique from that of other public ports. Unlike other consortia, the Port of San Nicolás undertakes all its own operational activities rather than outsourcing them to private terminals.
According to the port’s president, having a shared public/private model gives the port sound resource management. Over the years, it has also diversified into warehousing, unloading, and inland logistics, which in part compensate for the limited available berthing space. Those operators seeking flexibility in service provision are therefore attracted to San Nicolás. However, what makes the port particularly attractive is its ability to receive fully laden ocean-going vessels. These drop of fertiliser consignments in the port, then handle shipments of grain further north in Santa Fe province, significantly reducing costs for the private sector.
Its role as Argentina’s main fertiliser storage centre grew out of the transfer of port management in the 1990s to the provinces, allowing the private sector to invest locally to meet their own strategic aims. From San Nicolás, fertiliser finds its way by barge to Paraguay, southern Brazil, and Bolivia, and also by rail to Mendoza, Tucumán, and other rail-linked inland destinations.
The petroleum-derived fertiliser is imported from Russia, China, the United States, and Africa.