[090418.EN.BIZ] Bollore to Build 2nd Container Terminal at Abidjan Port for US$496 Million

FRENCH industrial conglomerate Bollore plans to spend EUR400 million (US$496.28 million) on the construction of a second container terminal at Cote d'Ivoire's main port of Abidjan.

Bollore Transport and Logistics deputy CEO Philippe Labonne told Reuters on the sidelines of an African CEO conference in Cote d'Ivoire's commercial capital that the project would be financed by partner Maersk and the new terminal would be operational from June 2020.

The main port of Abidjan is used to ship cocoa beans from the world's top cocoa producer and is also a vital supply and export route for landlocked countries to the north. Cote d'Ivoire authorities want the port to become a regional hub.

"We start in June or July 2019," he told Reuters. "It's a question of building a platform and setting up the port equipment."

Port authorities were, with Chinese help, already widening the canal leading to the port to reach a 16 metre depth that would enable larger ships to dock, he said.

They aim to raise terminal capacity by 15 per cent up from 1.2 million TEU at present.

Source : HKSG.