Algeria unveils plan for new port
Algeria has begun to plan the construction of a new seaport, launching a tender to identify possible sites for its location, IFW reports.
The port would be centrally located between Algiers and the port city of Ténès – around 215km east of the Algerian capital.
Algeria’s Ministry of Transport said a new port had become a necessity, largely a result of increasing congestion as volumes have increased at the port of Algiers.
A new maritime gateway would also relieve pressure on other Algerian ports such as Béjaïa, Ténès and Oran.
However, no timetable has been disclosed for the project nor a date given when the new port could enter service.
The modernisation and extension of Algeria’s seaports has been a prominent feature on the national political agenda in recent years as the North African state gears up for projected growth in foreign trade.
Shipping groups and other port users have also led a long-standing campaign for better facilites and more efficient handling of traffic.
In 2009, DP World took over the operation of the ports of Algiers and Djen-Djen in joint-venture partnerships with the Algerian government.
Under the 30-year concession, DP World is committed to initial investment of over of US$100 million over a three to four-year period.
This focuses on redeveloping the main container terminal at Algiers and expanding capacity from 500,000teu to around 800,000teu, with provision for new cranes, equipment and training to improve efficiency and productivity.
There will also be investment at Djen-Djen, in eastern Algeria, seen as having the potential to handle new-generation mega-containerships and to become a major transhipment hub for the western Mediterranean.
According to the latest official figures, Algeria’s 10 commercial ports handled around 120 million tonnes of cargo last year.
The port would be centrally located between Algiers and the port city of Ténès – around 215km east of the Algerian capital.
Algeria’s Ministry of Transport said a new port had become a necessity, largely a result of increasing congestion as volumes have increased at the port of Algiers.
A new maritime gateway would also relieve pressure on other Algerian ports such as Béjaïa, Ténès and Oran.
However, no timetable has been disclosed for the project nor a date given when the new port could enter service.
The modernisation and extension of Algeria’s seaports has been a prominent feature on the national political agenda in recent years as the North African state gears up for projected growth in foreign trade.
Shipping groups and other port users have also led a long-standing campaign for better facilites and more efficient handling of traffic.
In 2009, DP World took over the operation of the ports of Algiers and Djen-Djen in joint-venture partnerships with the Algerian government.
Under the 30-year concession, DP World is committed to initial investment of over of US$100 million over a three to four-year period.
This focuses on redeveloping the main container terminal at Algiers and expanding capacity from 500,000teu to around 800,000teu, with provision for new cranes, equipment and training to improve efficiency and productivity.
There will also be investment at Djen-Djen, in eastern Algeria, seen as having the potential to handle new-generation mega-containerships and to become a major transhipment hub for the western Mediterranean.
According to the latest official figures, Algeria’s 10 commercial ports handled around 120 million tonnes of cargo last year.