Ivory Coast terminal construction contract

APM Terminals said contract were signed this month with the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC), for the construction of Abidjan’s second container terminal, known as Côte d’Ivoire Terminal (CIT). CIT is scheduled to be operational at the end of 2021.

The consortium behind the terminal is a joint venture between Bolloré and APM Terminals and will invest €400m in the construction of the terminal and equipment. Once completed, CIT will have a maximum draft of -18m. It will have the ability to handle larger new-generation ships of up to 14,000 TEU and 350m in length.

“Shipping lines have started to deploy very large container vessels on the trades to/from West Africa that need deep water facilities and modern terminals able to handle them with much higher productivity,” said Koen De Backker, managing director of CIT.

1.2m TEU additional capacity

Located adjacent to the existing Abidjan Terminal at the Port of Abidjan, the new terminal will enhance the competitiveness of the port and add an additional 1.2m TEU in annual throughput capacity, in its first phase of development, said APM Terminals.

Côte d’Ivoire Terminal was formed in 2013. Phase one of the project was handled by the Port Autonome d’Abidjan (PAA).

At the end of the 20-year concession to operate, the assets will be returned to the ports authority ‘Port Autonome d’Abidjan’.