AD Ports, CMA CGM Group to jointly develop terminal in Congo

AD Ports Group signed a shareholders’ agreement with the CMA CGM Group, through its subsidiary CMA Terminals, to jointly develop, manage and operate the New East Mole multipurpose terminal in Pointe Noire, Congo-Brazzaville.

AD Ports Group had received a 30-year extendable concession in June 2023, says an official release from CMA CGM.

"With the signing, AD Ports Group and the CMA CGM Group formed a joint venture, majority-owned by AD Ports Group, to develop, manage, and operate the terminal at the Port of Pointe Noire, which will handle containers, general, break-bulk and other types of cargo at the Central West African nation’s biggest Atlantic port.

"At the time it obtained the concession, AD Ports Group said it expected to invest about $220 million (AED 807 million) to build a 400-metre quay wall at 16-metre depth, plus a 10-hectare logistics area, during Phase 1 of the project."

With the new agreement, AD Ports Group and the CMA CGM Group are further cementing their partnership after the inauguration of CMA Terminals Khalifa Port last December, a $845 million (AED 3.1 billion) container terminal that will eventually expand Khalifa Port’s container capacity of 7.8 million TEUs in 2024 by 33 percent or 2.6 million TEUs, the release added.

Christine Cabau Woehrel, Executive Vice President, Assets and Operations, CMA CGM Group says: “Our investment with AD Ports Group at the Port of Pointe Noire is a new milestone of our of our strategic collaboration between CMA T and ADP as we enable modern, sustainable ports and maritime infrastructure for the next wave of global trade. We look forward to bringing the operational and economic benefits of this collaborative, sustainable approach to The Republic of the Congo and to its importers and exporters."

Mohamed Eidha Al Menhali, Regional CEO, AD Ports Group adds: "This agreement further enhances our strategic partnership with CMA CGM in several markets and projects along global trade lines, the latest of which was the inauguration of CMA Terminals Khalifa Port last December. Our collaboration at the port of Pointe Noire is a continuation of this association. We look forward to jointly developing and managing phase 1 of the New East Mole multipurpose terminal with the CMA CGM Group. We believe this partnership will position the Republic of Congo at the centre of maritime trade, in line with projections for annual growth of three-five percent in container volumes forecast for the country over the medium term."

The terminal has already placed an order for three super post-panamax ship-to-shore (STS) cranes, which represent the latest generation in high-performance port equipment, the release added.