Twenty parties express interest in building Abidjan's 2nd box terminal

DANISH shipping giant, AP Moller, and global carrier Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) are reported to be two of the 20 parties that have submitted bids to build and manage the second container terminal in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.

The Abidjan Port Authority invited tenders for the construction and management of the 1.5 million TEU facility, which will have a 1,100-metre berth and 16 metres alongside.

CMA CGM also confirmed that it intends to bid for the project as part of a consortium alongside other partners who would also co-finance the project of up to EUR250 million (US$307.4 million). The company stated that if the consortium were awarded the tender the project would be completed in 2016. Abidjan is a major port of call for CMA CGM and its affiliate Delmas, reports Alphaliner.

CMA CGM calls at Abidjan with its Far East-related WAX string, which deploys vessels of up to 3,600 TEU. Delmas runs five services into the port, including intra-Africa feeders and links to North Europe and the Mediterranean.

Abidjan has one dedicated container terminal, the Vridi Terminal (or SETV - Societe d'Exploitation du Terminal de Vridi), jointly owned by Bollore (60 per cent) and APM T (40 per cent). The facility is presently undergoing an upgrading programme to raise annual handling capacity from 800,00 TEU to 1.2 million TEU by 2013, through the extension of the terminal's gantry rails to 740 metres and the addition of new gantry cranes.

Container handling volumes at Abidjan declined last year to an estimated 530,000 TEU, from 640,000 TEU in 2010 following the political turmoil in the country which resulted in former President Laurent Gbagbo being ousted from power in April.