Pointe-Noire Container Terminal

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On 23 December 2008, the government of Congo signed a 27-year concession contract with a Special Purpose Company composed by French holding company Bollore (60%) and domestic company Societe Congolaise De Transports Sarl (40%) to build, rehabilitate and operate the container terminal of Pointe-Noire port. The contract was awarded early December 2008, following a competitive tender process between 2 final bidders. The other bidder was the French company CMA-CGM. Under the term of the contract, the SPC committed to invest US$735 million to expand the port capacity. The first stage of the works was to prolong the quay by 270 meters to a total length of 800m with a depth of water of 15m, capable of receiving container ships with a capacity of up to 7000 TEUs. At the end of the concession, Congo Terminal was expected to have 1500 linear meters of quay (800m at depths to 15m and 700m at depths to 13m), 38 ha of storage surface (as against 17ha in 2008), 14 quayside gantries and 34 storage yard gantries. These resources should enable it to achieve a flow of 1 million TEUs per year by 2020 (as against some 200,000 TEUs in 2008).  Development Banks led by Agence Francaise de Developpement were expected to provide a US$70 million loan in 2009. As of December 2008, the container terminal of Pointe-Noire port had a capacity of 200 thousands TEU. In December 2009, the European Investment Bank agreed to provide a US$42 million loan. In 2010-2011, Bollore Africa Logistics handled 355,000 TEU in Pointe-Noire.