ABIDJAN, March 23 (Reuters) – Ivory Coast has named a consortium of French industrial groups Bollore and Bouygues and Denmark’s Maersk as the preferred bidder to operate a new container terminal, an official for one of the companies said.
The West African nation plans to open a second container terminal in the commercial capital Abidjan – one of Africa’s busiest ports – as part of a drive to make up ground lost to competitors during a decade-long political crisis.
“This new terminal project will lift the infrastructure of Abidjan for the benefit of the country and its population,” said Peder Sondergaard, Africa and Middle East CEO for Maersk’s APM Terminals.
“We look forward to working towards developing the project together with the port authority,” he said in a statement.
The new terminal will require an investment of 300 billion CFA francs ($594.41 million) over a concession term of 21 years, the statement said.
New construction will include 35 hectares (86 acres) of yard along 1,100 metres of quays and will be able to accommodate ships with a capacity of up to 8,000 20-foot containers (TEU). It is scheduled to open in 2016.
The second terminal will have a transit capacity of 1.5 million TEU per year, adding to the port’s current capacity of 800,000 containers.
Once a regional economic powerhouse, Ivory Coast is emerging from a decade of stagnation caused by a 2002 civil war that split the country in two.
The political crisis ended with a second brief armed conflict in 2011. The economy is once again growing, buoyed by heavy investment to renew long-neglected infrastructure.
Growth topped 8.5 percent in 2012, according to the International Monetary Fund, following a 4.7 percent contraction the year before.
The bulk of top grower Ivory Coast’s cocoa exports pass through Abidjan, as do around 60 percent of goods entering and exiting land-locked Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
Bollore subsidiary Bollore Africa Logistics has held the concession for Abidjan’s existing container terminal since 2004. It announced plans in October to spend up to $79 million by 2015 to double the terminal’s capacity.
($1 = 504.6990 CFA francs) (Editing by James Jukwey)
Dive into a sea of information with our meticulously curated weekly “Dispatch” email. It’s more than just a newsletter; it’s your personal maritime briefing.
Dive into a sea of information with our meticulously curated weekly “Dispatch” email. It’s more than just a newsletter; it’s your personal maritime briefing.
(Bloomberg) — Russia’s state oil tanker company PJSC Sovcomflot said that US sanctions are putting pressure on its operations, the latest sign that the measures are complicating the delivery of...
March 11 (Reuters) – U.S. crude oil production lead global oil production for a sixth straight year, with a record breaking average production of 12.9 million barrels per day (bpd), the Energy...
BEIJING/MANILA, March 5 (Reuters) – The Philippines summoned China’s deputy chief of mission in Manila on Tuesday to protest what it called “aggressive actions” by Chinese naval forces against a resupply mission...
March 5, 2024
Total Views: 3624
Why Join gCaptain Club?
Be Informed: Stay updated with the latest maritime news and trends.
Connect: Network with a community of maritime professionals and enthusiasts.
Gain Insights: Receive exclusive content and personal perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.