Transport minister has pointed out that the government has pumped 800million dollar investments in East Port Said port since its establishment; including the establishment of a berth for containers, roads and bridges, electricity terminals and sanitary drainage. He also pointed out that infrastructure investments in the development corridor is about 15milliard dollar, and added that making such a subsidiary canal of East Port said puts the port on the global map of trade traffic, Maritime Transport Sector said in its press release.
He added that the Suez Canal 6 tunnels will fulfill permanent development of Sinai, where it will be linked with the Delta and the native country specially that its length reaches 9.5m km whereas dredging quantity is about million cubic meters compared with 500 million cubic meters for new Suez Canal and width 250m.
He also pointed out that East Port Said navigational channel is of depth reaching 10m and the dredgers is deepening it up to 17m to accommodate giant containers vessels of more than 15 thousand container and is of draught 15.25 m. He noted that there would be an increase in rate of container handling in East Port Said terminal from 304 million containers to 5.5 million containers by the year 2017.This rate expected to reach 8million container once the second container terminal established at East Port Said and starts to work by the year 2020. This besides the operation of liquid bulk terminal next April.
Dahi has also declared that East Port Said port is located at the northern entrance of Suez Canal eastern branch (intersection of the three continents Africa, Asia and Europe). The port’s area reaches 35km2 as it is bordered by the Mediterranean from the north with length3k, from the south the industrial region of an area 78km, from the East ElMellaha Lake with a length of 11k and from the west the eastern branch of the Suez Canal of length 10km. It occupies third rank at the Mediterranean and considered one of the projects that will have a vital role in international trade traffic in the coming years after the establishment of the infrastructure projects.
Dahi continued that the general plan undergone by “Dar Elhandasa” has divided Suez Canal developmental corridor into 3main regions: East Port Said, which depends on intermediate and light industries, the second at kantara in Ismailia depending on foodstuff and textile industries and the third at Sukhna for petrochemicals and heavy industries.
He also stressed that studies have divided the Suez Canal developmental corridor projects into two sections. The first are projects to be undergone inside the port and estimated by 12 projects as follows: the establishment of a new container terminal, establishment of multi-purpose terminal and another one for bunkering vessels, docks for vessel repair in addition to ports’ security companies and other companies for IT, towage, pilotage, stevedoring and dredging and roro terminals.
The second section represents projects to be held on the port’s hinterland where 8 types of projects are to be undergone as stevedoring general logistic services (unloading and towage of cargo in containers, bulk cargo storage, liquid cargo storage, general warehouses, reefers, distribution centers, light industries, comprehensive logistic services and the departments of quality, sorting, compiling, test, repair and re-usage.
He pointed out that added value services have been taken into consideration at the port’s hinterland such as services of balance, waiting, Customs, trucks maintenance and repair, containers maintenance, cleaning services, bunkering, tractors hiring, information and communication, safety and security services also bureaus, hotels and restaurants.
There are also national projects undergone by the government in developing the western coast, Golden Triangle project, grains’ project, at Port Said, pointing out that the new Suez Canal has granted a new investment opportunity.