STS

What STS does

S.T.S Ingeniería y Construcción Marítima (STS) is a Chilean specialty marine and submarine civil engineering contractor founded in 1960 in Viña del Mar. The company delivers engineering, construction, and deep-water submarine services for the mining, energy (thermoelectric), and port/maritime terminal sectors, with a flagship capability in submarine tunnel construction for desalination plants. Its core technology is closed-bell (campana cerrada) commercial diving to depths of 300 meters, executed by ADCI-certified engineers, supervisors, and divers — a capability it claims as unique in Chile — alongside conventional marine construction services such as piers, mooring dolphins, sheet pile walls, rock armor, and basins. STS reports a zero-accident operating record since inception, used as a credential in safety-critical underwater work.

STS makes money as a project-based B22B contractor via direct enterprise sales to large Chilean and international mining and energy counterparties. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and operates on bespoke EPC / engineering services contracts. Its go-to-market relies on direct client relationships and selective industry conference participation (notably Desal 2016). Headcount is in the 101–250 range, with operations split between a Viña del Mar headquarters and a Quintero operations office. Anchor relationships include Minera Escondida / BHP Billiton, AES Gener, ENAP Refinería Aconcagua / SAAM, and Guacolda / Mitsubishi / Hochtief, with the Minera Escondida Escondida Water Supply desalination plant — the largest in Chile — as the most visible reference project.

Name

STS

Legal name

S.T.S Ingeniería y Construcción Marítima

Website

https://sts-chile.cl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

STS is a Chilean marine and submarine civil engineering contractor founded in 1960, specializing in submarine tunnels, desalination marine works, and deep-water closed-bell diving to 300 meters for mining, energy, and port clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Engineering and Construction Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Port and Harbor Operations (488310), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Subsea & Nearshore Civil Works (Trenching, Rock Placement, Mattressing) (IMAFAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Offshore-to-Shore Interface Construction (Landfalls, Shore Crossings, HDD) (IMAFAJAK), Underwater Inspection, Maintenance & Repair (UWILD, Diving/ROV, In-water Cleaning) (IMAJAFAJ)

Keywords

• Marine construction services
• Submarine engineering
• Desalination infrastructure
• Deep water commercial diving
• Port infrastructure construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Viña Del Mar

HQ country

Chile

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

STS is a Chilean marine and submarine engineering and construction firm that designs, builds, and maintains maritime infrastructure for enterprise clients in the mining, energy, and port sectors. Its services span maritime civil engineering consulting (intake/outfall tunnels, marine geotechnical studies), construction of piers, mooring dolphins, sheet pile walls, rock armor, and basins, and ADCI-certified deep-water commercial diving up to 300 meters using closed bell technology, including proprietary submarine tunnel solutions for desalination plants that protect the marine ecosystem.

Product overview

STS offers a three-pronged maritime engineering and construction portfolio: (1) Ingeniería (Engineering) for civil maritime project development and consulting; (2) Construcción (Construction) for building maritime infrastructure such as piers, dolphins, sheet piles, and rockfill; and (3) Servicios Submarinos (Submarine Services) for deep-water diving operations up to 300 meters using closed bells. The company is a pioneer in Chile for marine works for desalination plants, having developed innovative submarine tunnel solutions that minimize environmental impact compared to traditional pipe installation methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ingeniería (Marine Civil Engineering) Maritime civil engineering services including marine geotechnical studies, design, and engineering consulting for intake and outfall tunnels, seawater intake systems, and marine works for desalination plants. Delivered to enterprise clients and EPC partners in the mining, energy, and port sectors.
• Construcción (Marine Construction) Comprehensive maritime construction services including pier construction (muelles), maritime structure assembly, mooring dolphins, sheet pile walls (tablaestacados), rockfill (enrocados), and basins (darsenas) for ports, refineries, and industrial facilities.
• Servicios Submarinos (Submarine Services) Submarine services performed by ADCI-certified diving engineers, supervisors, and commercial divers capable of deep-water operations up to 300 meters using closed diving bells (campana cerrada), including underwater construction, maintenance, and inspection at extreme depths. A unique capability in Chile.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero accidents since company inception (since 1960)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Minera Escondida / BHP BillitoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing client and strategic partner on multiple marine engineering projects including the Escondida Water Supply desalination plant submarine works, marine geotechnical studies, and design/engineering of marine tunnels for the EWS Marine Works Coloso project.
• AES GenercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngaged for design, engineering, construction, monitoring, and maintenance of the prefiltro siphon system for thermoelectric units I and II Ventanas.
• ENAP Refinería Aconcagua ERA / SAAMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerformed disconnection, replacement, and reinstallation of the mooring buoy at the Maritime Terminal Quintero.
• Guacolda / Mitsubishi / HochtiefcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction of marine works for Guacolda Unit 5, including the seawater suction siphon for the cooling circuit.
• Geocean / BechtelmajorTechnology or IntegrationSTS participated as a subcontractor or specialist marine contractor alongside Geocean and Bechtel on the Escondida Water Supply desalination plant submarine construction works.
• BHP Billiton / Black & VeatchmajorTechnology or IntegrationSTS provided design and basic engineering services for marine tunnels as part of the BHP Billiton / Black & Veatch team for the EWS Marine Works Coloso desalination project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Van Oord: Van Oord is a Dutch marine contractor specializing in dredging, land reclamation, offshore wind foundations, and subsea rock installation. Comparable to STS in submarine and nearshore civil works for energy and infrastructure clients, and a likely international competitor for Chilean submarine and desalination projects.
• Subsea 7: Subsea 7 is a global subsea engineering, construction, and services company focused on offshore energy projects including SURF (subsea umbilicals, risers, flowlines) and subsea tie-ins. Comparable to STS's subsea construction and diving capabilities, although Subsea 7 operates at much larger scale and primarily in offshore oil and gas.
• Boskalis Westminster: Royal Boskalis Westminster is a Dutch global marine contractor offering dredging, subsea, and offshore energy services, including submarine cable and pipeline trenching, rock placement, and marine civil works. Directly comparable to STS in the marine/subsea construction niche, with significantly broader geographic reach.
• Jan De Nul Group: Jan De Nul is a Belgian family-owned marine, civil, and environmental contractor with strong capabilities in offshore energy, subsea cable installation, and land reclamation. Directly comparable to STS in marine civil construction scope and serves similar energy and mining-adjacent end markets globally.
• DEME Group: DEME is a Belgian marine engineering and dredging group active in offshore energy, subsea construction, and environmental works. Comparable to STS in subsea and nearshore civil works, with capabilities in trenching, rock placement, and submarine pipeline/outfall installation.

Broad incumbents

• Saipem: Saipem is an Italian oilfield services and engineering company providing onshore drilling, offshore engineering, and subsea construction. Broader incumbent to STS, with overlapping capabilities in submarine pipeline installation and offshore marine works but at a much larger scale and primarily oil & gas oriented.
• Acciona Infrastructure: Acciona is a Spanish global infrastructure and renewable energy group with a strong water infrastructure and desalination business, including projects in Chile (e.g., Atacama). Comparable to STS in marine works for desalination plants, but at a much larger scale and with broader infrastructure services.
• OHL Industrial (OHL Group): OHL Industrial is the industrial concessions and construction arm of Spanish OHL Group, with experience in desalination and water infrastructure projects in Chile and Latin America. Comparable to STS on the desalination and water infrastructure side, though at a much larger infrastructure-concession scale.

Regional players

• Construcciones Marítimas Mexicanas (COMMSA): COMMSA is a Mexican marine and civil construction company providing marine works for ports, harbors, and offshore energy in Mexico. Comparable to STS in marine construction scope and serves a similar end-market need (energy and port infrastructure), but operates in a different Latin American geography.
• Salina Cruz / CODISA-type regional marine constructors: CODISA and similar Chilean regional construction firms provide marine and port construction services within Chile. They are regional peers to STS in terms of Chilean marine construction activity, but typically lack STS's ADCI-certified deep-water diving capability and submarine tunnel specialization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebooksts-chile.cl/facebook.php
• LinkedInsts-chile.cl/linkedin.php

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about STS