• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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APM Terminals begins operations in new Côte d’Ivoire terminal

Nigeria’s tax laws encouraging investments — APM Terminals

APM Terminals has commenced commercial operations at the new Côte d’Ivoire Terminal in Abidjan after a series of test calls.

The terminal officially marked its operational and commercial go-live on November 2nd with the handling of a 267-meter-long CMA CGM ROSSINI carrying a total capacity of 5,770 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers.

The official launch of the second container terminal in Abidjan – a joint venture between APM Terminals and Bolloré Ports, comes after successful test calls carried out in mid-October.

The new facility is expected to facilitate increased trade between Côte d’Ivoire and the sub-region, as well as strengthen and bring new dynamics to the existing Côte d’Ivoire-Burkina Faso-Mali logistics corridor.

The terminal was built with a total investment of approximately 900 million EUR, including about 510 million EUR for groundwork infrastructure financed by the Port of Abidjan and 400 million EUR for the superstructures.

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The new terminal with an area of 37.5 hectares, 1100 meter-long quay, and 16-meter draft, fully digitalised and equipped with all electric equipment, will be able to handle 1.5 million TEUs annually.

It has automated gates and an online truck appointment system that significantly speeds up the pickup and delivery of containers and improves safety during the process.

“Côte d’Ivoire Terminal is a real source of satisfaction for us. For two years, we have worked tirelessly to build this facility, in order to provide the Port of Abidjan with an infrastructure that meets international standards, capable of supporting traffic growth while preserving the environment,” said Koen De Backker, managing director of Côte d’Ivoire Terminal.

Hien Sie, managing director of the Port Autonome d’Abidjan, said they were proud to complete the major project, which will contribute to repositioning the Port of Abidjan in the long term and become a benchmark logistics platform on the West African coast.

The port was built to accommodate vessels with a draught of 16 metres along its 1,100 metres of quay and is expected to generate 450 direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs.