CGSA ratifies commitment to sustainable maritime port sector

Gustavo Manrique (left), Minister of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition, and Javier Lancha de Micheo, CGSA chief executive officer, sign the sustainability agreement

Contecon Guayaquil S.A. (CGSA) and the Ecuadorian Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition signed an agreement to strengthen sustainable production and consumption within the framework of the ecological transition, a move that reaffirms the company’s commitment to sustainability and carbon footprint reduction that started in 2018.

Vowing to continue contributing to Ecuador’s economic, social and sustainable development, CGSA has pledged to reduce its carbon emissions by 54 percent and restore 7.8 hectares of mangroves in the El Salado reserve – an area that has been deforested.

“Contecon decided to go further with its sustainability initiatives to reduce emissions by sponsoring mangrove forests, converting 90 percent of the cranes to use renewable energy instead of fossil fuel and installing solar panels,” said Gustavo Manrique, Minister of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition.

CGSA is the first port in Ecuador and Latin America to be certified as carbon neutral. 

For Javier Lancha de Micheo, CGSA chief executive officer, all initiatives taken by the company to reduce its carbon footprint are based on maintaining natural resources:  “We electrify the cranes, invest in environment-friendly buildings, reduce consumption and reforest because Contecon operates facing the sea and lives face to face with the city that welcomes it.” 

In the coming years, CGSA will put up a photovoltaic plant with 7,000 to 8,000 solar panels to power the terminal’s electrical substations. In addition, the electrification of rubber tired gantries and the integration of other electric equipment will reduce the terminal’s greenhouse emissions by 30,000 tons. 

The company will also coordinate with communities to create a scientific research center for the conservation of the mangrove forest’s flora and fauna. CGSA will support educational institutions in transmitting the knowledge generated by the research center to students and take the necessary steps to inspire communities to take carbon-reduction initiatives.