APMT to upgrade Lagos

The US$135m container terminal expansion and redevelopment project will include the purchase of additional container handling equipment.

It will also include a Customs container inspection area to increase x-ray scanning capacity for containers will help with the expansion of the terminal’s on-dock rail line.

Dallas Hampton, managing director, APMT Apapa terminal, told Port Strategy: “We expect dock rail operations to start in Apapa in August this year. This will significantly reduce truck visits, as well as road congestion and container dwell times. Apapa will be the only terminal in the Lagos area with direct rail haulage capability.”

To raise quayside capacity to 1.75m per annum, APMT will increase its quayside equipment to 11 mobile harbour cranes and add 10 more rubber tyred gantry (RTG) cranes to the 12 existing ones by the end of 2013.

In addition, the terminal yard will be expanded and state of the art terminal control systems installed, including a GPS based container positioning system.

The system will be implemented for maximum yard inventory accuracy as the current 1.2m teu yard capacity is likely to grow to 1.5m teu as import container dwell times in Lagos are significantly reduced.

APMT says the project will improve the existing APS automated gate system at Apapa, which was installed in 2011, creating expanded capacity for trucks to enter the terminal.

“In combination with rail operations, this will be sufficient to meet future landside demands,” Mr Hampton said.