Yucatán Governor Oversees Port Dredging Advancements

Progreso, Yucatán — Governor Joaquín Díaz Mena led a supervision visit to the dredge vessel Fernando de Magallanes, one of the most modern and powerful dredging vessels in operation, which is carrying out the expansion and modernization maneuvers of the Progreso Deep-Water Port, a strategic project for the development of Yucatán and a key piece of the Maya Renaissance.

During the visit, the governor was accompanied by the president of the Yucatán Business Coordinating Council (CCE), Claudia González Góngora, as well as business sector leaders, including the president of the Employers’ Confederation of the Mexican Republic (Coparmex) Mérida, Emilio Blanco del Villar; the president of the Mérida National Chamber of Commerce, Services, and Tourism (Canaco Mérida), José Enrique Molina Casares; the president of the Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry (CMIC) Yucatán, Felipe Alberto Canul Moguel; and the president of the National Council of the Maquiladora and Export Manufacturing Industry (Index) Yucatán, Ángel López Rodríguez.

The governor and the entourage toured the vessel’s facilities, including the control center, the engine room, and the pumping system, where they verified the operation of the process by which rocky material is extracted and transported from the seabed outside the navigation channel.

In this first phase, corresponding to the dredging of the main channel, the work has exceeded 60% completion, with more than 700,000 cubic meters of rock removed thanks to a continuous 24-hour operation.

Díaz Mena stated that this work, the backbone of the Maya Renaissance, is a long-term bet on Yucatán’s competitiveness and on a more connected, stronger, and fairer regional economy.

Additionally, he thanked the business leaders for their presence and support, and highlighted the role of the productive sector as a key partner in the development vision promoted by the State Government.

“We came with presidents of business chambers to verify the progress of the modernization and deepening work of our deep-water port, which is already 61% complete. What we see here is the beginning of a profound transformation. This is the infrastructure that will allow us to bring more investment, create more jobs, and position Yucatán on the new logistical and economic map of the country. Thank you to all the business leaders for joining us today: your presence reflects the shared commitment to the future of the state,” he affirmed.

The governor also expressed his recognition to the Government of Mexico and President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo for the support provided to the priority projects of the Maya Renaissance, noting that the port modernization is not an isolated effort, but part of a comprehensive strategy of growth, inclusion, and territorial justice.

For these tasks, the vessel Fernando de Magallanes is used, one of the most advanced dredges in the world, with a power of 23,000 kilowatts. It is equipped with cutters to remove rock from the seabed, maintenance workshops, a pumping room, and a control center that monitors each operation in real time.

The maneuvers will allow the expansion and deepening of the navigation channel, which will increase the port’s capacity to receive larger vessels and, with it, raise the logistical competitiveness of Yucatán.

Also participating in the visit were the Coordinator of Strategic Projects, Dafne López Martínez; the Secretary of Economy and Labor, Ermilo Barrera Novelo; the Secretary of Infrastructure for Well-Being, Alaine López Briceño; the Representative of the Government of Yucatán in Mexico City, Víctor López Martínez; and the Director General of the Institute for the Construction and Conservation of Public Works in Yucatán, José Isaac González Bernal.