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The company recently expanded its terminal network in Africa when it secured a 27-year concession to manage a container facility at the port of Pointe Noire in the Democratic Republic of Congo in tandem with local partner, Socotrans. The facility joins existing Bollore port operations at Tema, Lagos, Douala, and Libreville and its flagship facility in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Eric Melet, operations director of Bollore Africa Logistics, claims the company takes a different approach to port management and development than its rivals, using its terminals as springboards for developing logistics services to inland destinations rather than merely as revenue generators.

“Many of our competitors are focusing on the operations at the terminal while our position, with 21,000 employees on the continent spread over 41 countries, gives us a unique vision on what is needed and what is happening 2,000 km away from the gateway port,” he says.

“We prioritise our strategy of investments based upon the economic potential of the country or the basin of countries served by the port, as well as the maritime potential of the location – water depth, positioning on main ocean routes etc.”

Bollore, he adds, is also fully independent of shipping companies. “This characteristic enables us to be a very credible partner for port authorities and governments when they want to build a real common-user terminal fully independent of any particular shipping line but attractive not only to existing ocean carriers but also to new ones.”

But West Africa’s startling economic growth rates of recent years will not be immune from the new global economic climate, warns Mr Melet. “Although we are convinced that the fundamentals of the medium and long term growth of Africa will not change, the global slowdown will definitely impact the continent and its trades in the short term, even though growth will still remain above what Europe or the US will experience,” he says.

“We have noticed a significant slowdown in exports while import volumes remain in line for the time being. Besides the export slow down, we have also noticed that some significant capital investment projects in oil and/or mining resources have been postponed or cancelled.”

The downturn will not prevent the development of Pointe Noire, however. Bollore plans to invest some ¢570m ($511m) over the 27 year concession to turn the terminal into the first deep water port in West Africa able to receive vessels up to 6,000 teu.

“Our investment plan includes significant infrastructure works such as refurbishing and extending existing quays, purchasing the necessary equipment such as gantry cranes and RTGs, and developing a logistics area next to the port.

“Most of the civil works will be performed during the first eight years as we consider it a priority to position Pointe Noire as soon as possible as a deep sea port.

“We are very conscious that the worldwide context is extremely challenging but we are confident in the medium to long term potential of Africa.”