AD Ports expands in Angola

In partnership with local companies Unicargas and Multiparques, AD Ports Group has begun operations at the Noatum Ports Luanda Terminal, located at Angola’s largest port.

The terminal handles 76% of the country’s container and general cargo volumes and provides crucial access to landlocked nations like the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia. Under the new agreement it will be significantly upgraded to a general cargo, container and RoRo terminal, creating thousands of jobs in the region.

“With the planned upgrade of Luanda’s multipurpose port terminal, and establishment of an integrated logistics and freight forwarding business leveraging our Group’s global network and reach, AD Ports Group is positioned to capture the growth in Angola’s container volumes, which are forecast to rise on average by 3.3% annually over the next decade,” commented Mohamed Eidha Al Menhali, regional chief executive of AD Ports Group.

The joint venture sees AD Ports Group holding an 81% stake in the terminal and a 90% stake in the logistics business, Noatum Unicargas Logistics.

A 20-year concession agreement with the Luanda Port Authority, signed in April 2024, includes an investment of US$250 million by AD Ports Group until 2026 to modernise the terminal and develop the logistics business. The investment could rise to US$380 million over the life of the concession.

The new terminal will be capable of handling Super Post Panamax vessels, with the use of new container handling equipment and modern IT systems helping increase the terminal’s capacity from 25,000 teu at present to 350,000 teu by 2026.