A container terminal in a growing west African trading centre has been expanded to accommodate larger ships.
Bolloré Transport & Logistics has extended Freetown Gateway in Sierra Leone to open new trading routes for container ships.
During a two-year upgrade project, Bolloré built a 270-m long quay with a water depth of 13 m at the terminal. This was completed in September this year and enables ships of up to 6,000 TEU to use the facilities.
This work increases Freetown Terminal's capacity and maritime trade to boost local and national economies in Sierra Leone.
“This partnership between the Sierra Leone Government and the Bolloré Group is an illustration of a successful public-private partnership,” said Bolloré chief executive Cyrille Bolloré at the official opening ceremony, in November.
“Our commitment to the country is long-term and we really want to support its logistic transformation to contribute to the growth of Sierra Leone’s economy.”
Expansion of the terminal and more ship calls results in more demand for marine services and vessel handling using tugs in the port.
Bolloré Ports secured the port concession in March 2011 and started to upgrade the terminal to international standards. Initially, Bolloré Ports refurbished the existing yards and installed modern equipment to increase the volume of traffic by 30% by 2015. In October 2016, major extension work started on the new quay, which was completed on time in September this year.
Bolloré Ports is a major investor in ports worldwide. It has started constructing a greenfield deepwater port for dry cargo and containers in East Timor as part of a total investment of US$490M.
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