DP World is pressing ahead with the development of a first deepsea port in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Contacts have been signed this week to build the facility at the port at Banana along the country’s 37km coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.
DP World will develop an initial 600 m quay with an 18 m draft, capable of handling the largest vessels in operation.
It will have a container handling capacity of about 450 000 teu per year, and a 30 ha yard to store containers.
“The development of the Banana Port will bring significant cost and time savings for the country’s trade, as it will attract more direct calls from larger vessels from Asia and Europe,” DP World stated in a release.
The Dubai-based terminal operator is expanding its network in Africa a great deal this year with the recent concession win for Luanda in Angola, to the south of Banana, as well as an expansion project that is underway in Berbera in Somaliland.
By Sam Chambers
Splash
