NORDEN has entered into a new business area of port logistics, signing a major contract with manganese mining company Comilog - a subsidiary of French metallurgical group Eramet extending the relationship with a key customer, according to the company's release.
Over the 10-year agreement, NORDEN is responsible for setting up and operating a transhipment solution in Gabon, Central Africa with an investment of around USD 40 million.
The Gabon project has seen NORDEN establishing a floating transfer station 40 km away from the existing port, to allow for the use of Capesize vessels – some of the world’s largest dry cargo ships. Cargo is transported on barges from the port to the floating transfer station, where it is loaded onto the vessels and shipped to Asia.
The agreement with Comilog sees NORDEN handling the ocean freight for a portion of the transhipped cargo. Utilising larger vessels solves a major bottleneck for Comilog, making the operation more efficient while at the same time reducing carbon emissions of the transport.