Corporación América

Buenos Aires, 4 September 2012 - Today, Corporación América introduced the Bioceánico Aconcagua Corridor project to the Infrastructure, Housing and Transport Commission of the Honorable Senate.

The presentation was delivered by Hugo Eurnekian, Vice President of Corporación América, and Nicolás Posse, Director of the project. Those also present were the members of the Commission headed by the National Senator Adolfo Bermejo and the Chilean Ambassador to Argentina Adolfo Zaldívar Larraín.

Mr. Hugo Eurnekian explained that "the strength of this project lies in its capacity to ease the huge bottleneck, the largest in Latin America, which is the Cristo Redentor pass in Mendoza. This pass is the weakest link in the chain. If can solve this problem, the impact on South America will be massive. The social benefits of the project account for 13 billion dollars that will be spread all over the Mercosur-Chile corridor. The project, which will require a 3 billion dollar investment, will end up being small in the face of its large impact".

"The Bioceánico Aconcagua aligns both public and private interests with the aim of finding a better solution and boosting growth in the region", he added.

In turn, Ambassador Zaldívar Larraín stated that "if we want to enter the world scene as we know it today, Chile and Argentina will have to pay close attention to this project and be daring".

On 16 August, the Commission of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the National Congress, received the presentation in the Delia Parodi room of the Honorable Chamber, in the presence of deputies from different blocks.

Corporación América is the Argentine company which jointly with Empresas Navieras (Chile), Mitsubishi Corp. (Japan), Contreras Hermanos (Argentina) and Geodata (Italy) form the "Bioceánico Aconcagua S.A." consortium.

The Project
The Bioceánico Aconcagua corridor is an interoceanic passage that will bring the physical and commercial integration of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans to a new level in terms of capacity and reliability; and it is designed to meet a long-term increase in demand, as it offers a 204-km railway from the city of Los Andes (Chile) to Luján de Cuyo (Argentina).

This work solves the weakest link of the Mercosur-Chile axis, which includes thousands of kilometres of roads and railways between Sao Paulo in Brazil and the central ports of Chile in the Pacific, thus optimizing the whole regional logistics and commercial system.

Main features
- OPERATIONAL 365 DAYS A YEAR
- ANDEAN CROSSING IN 4 HOURS
- 204 KM RAILWAY
- GRADIENTS LOWER THAN 2%
- 52 KM MAIN TUNNEL
- 10 KM IN 29 SIDE TUNNELS
- 33 BROAD GAUGE BRIDGES (SAME GAUGE FROM THE ATLANTIC TO THE PACIFIC)
- HIGH LOAD CAPACITY: STAGE 1: 15 MILLION TONS / YEAR - STAGE 2: 20 MILLIONS TONS / YEAR - STAGE 3: 70 MILLION TONS / YEAR

Back in January 2008, Corporación América presented the corresponding private initiatives of the project in Chile and Argentina. Chile declared it as of national interest in August 2008 and Argentina in September of that same year.

Feasibility Studies were presented before both Governments in March 2009, showing that the project is not only technically feasible but also financially viable.

On 30 October 2009, the Maipú Treaty was signed, in which a specific Additional Protocol on the Central Bioceanic Corridor was included. This treaty was passed into law in both countries in November 2009.

Buenos Aires - The Commission of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the National Congress, received the presentation of the Bioceánico Aconcagua corridor project in the Delia Parodi room of the Honorable Chamber, in the presence of deputies from different blocks.

(from left to right) Nicolás Posse; Adolfo Zaldívar, Hugo Eurnekian, Rolando Baldasso, Ricardo Alfonsín.

The initiative was explained by Hugo Eurnekian, Vice President of Corporación América and Nicolás Posse, Director of the project. They were backed by the Deputy of Mendoza, Guillermo Carmona; the Chilean Ambassador to Argentina, Adolfo Zaldívar; the Ministry of Infrastructure of the province of Mendoza, Rolando Baldasso and Deputy Ricardo Alfonsín. 

"We are in a crucial stage of the work, together with the Binational Entity, as we have been complying with the terms set in the meeting held between President Cristina Fernández and her counterpart Sebastian Piñera. We are confident we will keep of making solid progress along this road of integration", highlighted Hugo Eurnekian. 

In turn, the Deputy of Mendoza, encouraged the deputies to "sign a declaration of interest in support of the Bioceánico Aconcagua corridor project." The Ambassador declared to be "engaged in the initiative because it will have a positive and decisive influence on the growth of Chile and Argentina and their integration into the world".

(from left to right) Nicolás Posse; Adolfo Zaldívar, Hugo Eurnekian, Rolando Baldasso, Ricardo Alfonsín.

Those also present were Sergio Chodos, Director of the Central Bank; Gabriela Stortoni, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Martín Arias Duval, Director of the Migrations Office; Carlos Raimundi, and deputies Alfredo Atanasoff, Ciampini and Ortíz, among others.