DP World has signed a 20 year concession agreement with the Angolan government to operate the Multipurpose Terminal (MPT) at the Port of Luanda.
Under the agreement, the operator will invest US$190m, with plans to rehabilitate the existing infrastructure and acquire new equipment.
The Port of Luanda is Angola’s largest port, located in a natural bay in the country’s capital Luanda, making it a mandatory stop on sea routes along the west of the African continent.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, group chairman and CEO of DP World, said: “Our entry into Angola and planned investment in the terminal, as outlined in the agreement, reflects our belief in the potential for further economic growth in the country.
“We look forward to playing our role in supporting the government to achieve its growth objectives through this key sector by leveraging our expertise, not just as a port operator, but also as a global provider of end-to-end logistics solutions.”
The MPT handles both containers and general cargo, and has a pier of 610 m, a depth of 12.5 m and a yard of 23 ha.
The aim is to bring operations in line with global standards and improve the MPT’s efficiency, raising the terminal’s annual throughput to 700,000 teu annually.
This will be supported by a modern port management system, as well as further training and development of Angolan staff employed at the first terminal on the western coast of southern Africa to be operated by managed by DP World.
Ricardo de Abreu, Angola’s transport minister, stated: “We understand that the performance of the transport sector in our country must count on key players such as DP World, to help us both modernise our infrastructure, as well as make it more competitive.
“As government, maintaining the jobs of workers assigned to the terminal, the implementation of a training and capacity building plan in different areas by the concessionaire, and the inclusion of middle and senior Angolan staff in its decision making structure, are some of the other gains from this relationship that we greatly appreciate.”
