The Tanger Med port complex saw container volumes soar 24% year-on-year in 2021, totalling just under 7.2m teu.
The traffic was achieved from the steady ramp-up of Tanger Med 2 after the successive commissioning of the terminals TC4 in 2019 and TC3 in 2021.
Tanger Med handled over 101m tonnes of goods for the first time in 2021, up 25% compared to 2020, with the tonnage handled by the port complex representing more than 50% of the overall tonnage handled by all Moroccan ports.
Roll-on roll-off (ro-ro) traffic was also up 14% as the port complex handled 407,459 trucks, driven by the resumption of industrial exports as well as by the good performance of the agricultural season and agro-industrial exports.
At the two vehicle terminals of Tanger Med, 429,509 new vehicles were handled representing a 20% increase compared to the previous yar.
The traffic mainly includes 278,651 Renault vehicles, including 250,532 for export, and a rise in exports of PSA vehicles to 100,030 cars exported.
Liquid bulk traffic was up by 9%, recording a total traffic of over 8.7m tonne of hydrocarbons handled.
Solid bulk grew by 13% compared to 2020, driven by the traffic of steel coils, wind blades and grane to reach a total of 342,804 tonne processed.
However, passenger traffic remains affected by the ongoing pandemic as it dropped 14% year-on-year. Still, 587,320 passengers crossed Tanger Med port in 2011.
The number of vessels to call at Tanger Med was up 12% from 2020 at 10,902 vessels and, over the past year, the port complex has welcomed nearly 929 mega-ships of over 290 m in size.
Such a good performance in 2021 affirms the port’s position as a major strategic hub for global maritime alliances led by Maersk Line, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd, respectively.
