DAR PORT TANZANIA

Tanzania is to invite more port container terminal operators after halting a 25-year exclusivity contract given to Tanzania International Container Terminal Services.

This ends a three-year public outcry over the Cabinet’s decision to grant 15 more years for TICTS to be the sole operator of the container terminal and cargo handling at the Dar es Salaam port.

It is expected that the open competition in the sector will attract more players, thereby enabling the harbour to increase its effectiveness through speedy container clearance, which has been a serious operational problem that has even threatened to divert importers to the Mombasa port.

The port is a transport hub for several landlocked countries in East and Southern Africa.

The government and Tanzania International Container Terminal Services (TICTS) signed an addendum and memorandum of understanding to remove what lawmakers had termed the troublesome exclusivity clause from the TICTS contract that was said to have been extended from 10 to 25 years under dubious circumstances.

The Minister for Infrastructure Development, Dr Shukuru Kawambwa, said last week that the removal of the TICTS monopoly will increase efficiency, by allowing competition.

Dr Kawambwa said that this would in turn attract more business from landlocked countries that depend on the port for services and create more jobs.

The agreements were signed last week in Dar es Salaam by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure Development Omari Chambo, Tanzania Ports Authority Board chairman Raphael Mollel, a representative from Hutchicon Ports Holdings Wai Chau and TICTS chief executive officer Neville Bissett, witnessed by Dr Kawambwa and Deputy Minister for Finance, Omar Yussuf Mzee, on behalf of the Cabinet committee.

“The government wants to have more investors and those who will not be able to cope, are free to go,” he said adding that a number of investors had shown interest in investing at the port before negotiations to remove the clause began.

The road to negotiations for removing the clause was rough and uneasy, and at one time the government was about to give up and follow parliament’s directives to terminate the contract, but President Jakaya Kikwete demanded they continue with discussion, because early termination of the contract would mean massive losses for the government.

Tunisie : Un groupe koweitien et une société canadienne pour la gestion du port d’Enfidha !

Selon le site econostum, la Tunisie est en pourparlers avec deux opérateurs, une société Canadienne et un groupe du Moyen-Orient; pour gérer le futur port en eaux profondes d’Enfidha.

Ce port essentiellement tourné vers le trafic conteneurisé représente un investissement de 1,3 milliards d’euros et, d’après les estimations du ministère des Transports, prévoit un trafic de 5,4 millions de conteneurs EVP à horizon 2030.

A côté du terminal sera adossée une plate-forme logistique de 1 000 ha.
Les deux opérateurs seraient le groupe d'investissement koweitien Al Mal Investment Company KSC allié à Hutchison Port Holding, d’une part, et le groupe canadien SNC Lavalin, d’autre part.

Al Mal Investment Co, une entreprise du groupe Koweitien AL Kharafi, a indiqué qu'il comptait investir 2.2 mds$ (1,57 md€) en Tunisie, a rapporté le quotidien koweitien Al Watan.

Quand à Hutchison Port Holdings, c’est un leader mondial en matière d’investissement dans les ports. Il détient 49 ports dans 25 pays, au Moyen-Orient, en Afrique, en Europe, en Amérique et en Australie.
SNC-Lavalin, enfin, est l'un des plus grands groupes d'ingénierie et de construction au monde et un acteur majeur en matière de propriété d'infrastructures et de services d'exploitation et d'entretien.

acquisition of a next generation computer terminal,NAMIBIA

Namibian Ports Authority has made a N$13.5-million investment for the acquisition of a next generation computer terminal, Bisey Uirab, the Chief Executive Officer of NamPort has announced.

The acquisition of a state-of-the-art next generation container terminal operating system (NAVIS SPARCS N4) will see NamPort align itself with international standards in terms of providing a world-class service not only to importers and exporters, but also to shipping lines, ensuring that the port’s high productivity levels increasingly attract more shipping lines to call at the Port of Walvis Bay.

Uirab says the ever-increasing cargo volumes at Walvis Bay and in the Walvis Bay Corridors have prompted the decision to improve productivity as expected from a world-class port that handles container vessels.

Navis SPARCS N4 is a next generation container terminal operating system, specifically designed to offer good value.

“With this system in place, NamPort will enjoy benefits such as improved yard planning and control, enhanced vessel planning and control, as well as superior equipment control. It will enable NamPort to increase capacity, lower operating costs and improve customer service,” he added.

The strategic goals of the NAVIS SPARCS N4 implementation are increased terminal productivity by optimising vessel stow and dispatch as well as optimising container yard movements.

It will also optimise container movement to and from rail and tracking of gate transactions.

Meanwhile, Uirab said the new system would increase customer interaction through the use of EDI and WEB technology and manage reefer containers while tracking billing transactions and collecting metrics to measure growth and productivity.

“This means that NamPort will have a system that is very maintainable and adaptable over the entire life-cycle of the system while allowing NamPort the flexibility and scalability we need to run operations from a single terminal to multiple terminals across multiple geographic locations, all within a single system,” he added.

Uirab said continuous improvement of efficiency is part of NamPort’s strategic drive to increase the number of shipping lines at the Port of Walvis Bay and hence reduce the unit cost for sea freight and total logistics costs which will eventually reduce the cost of doing business in Namibia and the rest of the SADC region.

This is imperative for especially importers and exporters who serve SADC countries through the various Walvis Bay Corridors, he said.

Firm to fund Somalia's largest port

French company Bollore Africa Logistics is to invest €500-million in the Somali port of Berbera, a crucial lifeline for landlocked Ethiopia, a diplomat said Wednesday.

Berbera, less than 300 kilometres east of the former French colony of Djibouti, faces Yemen on the Gulf of Aden and is the economic capital of Somaliland, a breakaway state more stable than the rest of Somalia.

"Bollore is about to invest €500-million in Berbera port to improve the port and create a new corridor to the hinterland.

Ethiopia is very excited about that," a French diplomat based in Addis Ababa said.

"The project is not completely finalised, but Bollore has a huge presence in West Africa and is interested in East Africa," the diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

The company is part of a group owned by Vincent Bollore, a leader in West Africa's ports sector and close friend of French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Somalia has the longest coastline on the continent and forms the "horn" of Africa, which juts out into the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden and commands access to some of the world's busiest maritime trade routes.

Ethiopia has had good relations with the self-proclaimed government of Somaliland and is heavily reliant on the port of Berbera for supplies.

The Bollore group confirmed to AFP in Paris it was interested in the project but did not elaborate further.

"We have not made an offer yet and no amount has been agreed," a spokesperson said

Indaba to discuss African ports integration in December

The sectors of ports and maritime transport in Africa will hold an indaba (meeting) in December in the eastern South Africa port of Durban to discussing how best to improve their individual and collective performances as part the continent’s regional economic integration efforts, according to the Noticias newspaper here on Tuesday.

The daily said that experts and operators of the industry will convene the indaba to table management issues and the sustainable exploitation of the potential the transport sector offers to the continent’s economy.

The paper reported that the meeting was considered as one of the most important annual events that Africa has been promoting in recent years, and the Durban gathering would be held under the theme, "Connecting the Ports to the Corridors to Strengthen Regional Integration," in recognition of the importance of an efficient link in providing infrastructure that could play in facilitating trade between countries and improving the quality of life of local communities.

During the conference, several presentations will be made by industry experts and representatives of international partners and organisations on the current challenges, particularly at this stage that the world is facing an economic downturn.

DP WORLD'S DORALEH PORT RECEIVES 9660 TEU CMA CGA IVANHOE

Global marine terminal operator DP World's recently-inaugurated Doraleh Container terminal at Djibouti received CMA-CGM's Ivanhoe, with a nominal capacity of 9660 TEU (twenty foot equivalent container units

DP WORLD'S DORALEH PORT RECEIVES 9660 TEUCMA CGA IVANHOE

Global marine terminal operator DP World's recently-inaugurated Doraleh Container terminal at Djibouti received CMA-CGM's Ivanhoe, with a nominal capacity of 9660 TEU (twenty foot equivalent container units). With an overall length of 350 metres, width of 43 metres gross tonnage of more than 111,000 tonnes, the Ivanhoe is one of four Post-Panamax vessels completed late last year by Hyundai's Ulsan shipyard for CMA CGM. The Ivanhoe, on her maiden voyage, berthed at Doraleh, her second port of call after DP World Southampton. Doraleh's 18 m draft makes it one of a very few ports in the region capable of handling a vessel of this size. CMA-CGM, the French container transportation and shipping company, held a ceremony aboard the ship to celebrate its first call at Doraleh Container Terminal. Anil Singh, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of DP World, Africa Region, said: "It is an honour to have CMA- CGM Ivanhoe call at our facility. Her visit to Doraleh affirms the port's status as a regional hub, and in a wider context as a vital trading link between Europe, Africa and Asia. The recently-inaugurated deepwater port, now one of the largest and most modern terminals in Africa, is now very well equipped to handle large vessels such as CMA CGM Ivanhoe." Henry Delannoy, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing. of CMA CGM said:"Djibouti is a key African city with one of the most efficient and state of the art terminals in the region. CMA CGM has followed an aggressive growth and development plan in the region that focuses on creating new services in dynamic trade lanes with a modern, high performance fleet that helps maintain lower costs. We would like to thank DP World for their support in helping us facilitate our shipping and commercial activities in the region." Doraleh Container Terminal was officially opened last month with a total capacity of 1.2 million TEU annually. Capacity at the Terminal is set to grow over time in line with market demand to around 3m TEU.

DP World Doraleh wins ISO security certification

DP World Doraleh, of Dubai-based DP World, a top marine terminal operator, has been certified fully compliant with the stringent ISO 28000: 2007 security standard by Lloyd's Register, an independent risk management firm.

Like all new DP World marine terminals, DP World Doraleh was designed to facilitate deployment of the latest integrated security solution (ISS) technologies, and to speed compliance with international standards such as ISO 28000:2007.

Together, these systems and procedures make DP World terminals among the safest in the industry, according to a statement.

ISO 28000: 2007 certification is a critical part of DP World’s ongoing membership in the US Customs' Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT).

DP World Doraleh's compliance paves the way for its participation in the US Department of Energy's megaports initiative, fitting key terminals worldwide with radiation portals capable of detecting dangerous nuclear and other materials.

DP World Doraleh, whose capacity is currently 1.2 m TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units), opened in early February.

“The fact that DP World Doraleh achieved ISO 28000: 2007 accreditation six months after opening is a testament to hard work and solid planning,” said Joost Kruijning, senior vice president and managing director, DP World, Africa Region. “DP World is committed to remaining an undisputed leader in efforts to secure the global supply chain.”

Jerome Oliveira, general manager, DP World Doraleh / DP World Djibouti, said: “DP World Doraleh is a world-class facility, whose mission is to deliver the best customer service in the industry.”

“Achieving ISO 28000: 2007 certification is proof of our determination to provide a safe, secure environment for our customers, employees and visitors,” he added.

In 2006, DP World became the first global port operator to adopt the ISO 28000:2007 standard. DP World aims to have all its terminals ISO 28000-compliant by 2012

TRANSPORT MARITIME VIDEO

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TmEqA7wHQI&feature=player_embedded

The Doraleh Terminal

Today, the Djibouti Container Terminal has two 400-meter berths and four quay cranes, and is capable of serving Panamax class ships. By yearend 2008, a new facility called the Dorelah Container Terminal is scheduled to open 11 kilometers from the existing Djibouti Container Terminal. The new facility will be four times larger than the existing facility. With a 1,000-meter berth, six quay cranes, and a water depth of 18 meters, the new Doraleh Container Terminal will be capable of handling post- Panamax vessels.

The Djibouti government plans a three-phase implementation of the Doraleh Container Terminal. In the first phase, it will handle 1.5 million TEUs annually. During the second and third phases, annual throughput will increase to two million and three million TEUs, respectively. A larger revenue base, resulting from the increased traffic, is likely to enable the terminal to charge lower handling fees on both local and transit boxes.

Improvements at the Doraleh Container Terminal are designed to make Djibouti one of the most modern ports on the east coast of Africa, allowing it to further develop its natural and historical role as the trade hub of the region

Port of Djibouti

Djibouti as a main maritime passage and a main trading route between East and West stretches back 3,500 years, the time of maritime explorations of the Red Sea. A strategic meeting point between Northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, the Red Sea was a place of contact and passage used by the Egyptians, the Phoenicians, the Ptolemaists, the Romans, the Greeks, the Byzantines, the Arabs, and then by the Europeans in search of the Spice route. Its apogee came with the opening of the Suez Canal.

The port evolved out of Ethiopia's search for a maritime outlet to its railway line, and Djibouti’s coastline provided both easy access and sheltered anchorage. Work on the railway began in 1897, as did the initial construction of the port. Once the line was completed in 1917, the port grew rapidly. The Ethio-Djibouti Railways is in process of rehabilitation to increase its capacity.

Development at the port increased further between 1948 and 1957 with the construction of four deep-water quays and the dredging of the port access channels. On land, new warehouses and oil storage facilities were built, electricity and water supplies provided and railway lines laid.

In 1952, the French oil company Pétroles de Somalie (now known as Total S.A.) bunkered their first ship, and in 1956, Mobil Oil set up in Djibouti.

Between 1960 and 1970, port activity was developed as part of an international maritime exchange network. The Red Sea had become one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, and Djibouti found itself acting as its service station. Bunkering traffic quadrupled in the ten years from 1954, reaching a peak of 1.8 million tons in 1965.

Regional Hub

Djibouti’s strategic location enabled the port authorities to successfully rise to the challenge of turning the port into a regional hub for the Red Sea and Indian Ocean, and in a wider context the three continents of Europe, Africa and Asia. Containerization was the defining concept behind this new period of development and Djibouti’s first modern container terminal began operations in February 1985.

Since June 2000, the Port of Djibouti has been operated by Dubai Ports International on a 20-year concession