AD Ports Group has signed a shareholders’ agreement with the CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air, and logistics solutions, through its subsidiary CMA Terminals, to jointly develop, manage, and operate the New East Mole multipurpose terminal in Pointe Noire, Congo-Brazzaville, following AD Ports Group’s receipt of a 30-year extendable concession in June 2023.
With the signing, AD Ports Group and CMA CGM Group have established a joint venture, majority-owned by AD Ports Group, to develop, manage, and operate the New East Mole multipurpose terminal at the Port of Pointe Noire. The terminal will handle containers, general cargo, break-bulk, and other types of cargo at the largest Atlantic port in the Central West African nation.
At the time it obtained the concession, AD Ports Group said that it expected to invest about $220 million (AED807 million) to build a 400-metre quay wall at 16-metre depth, plus a 10-hectare logistics area, during Phase 1 of the project.
With this new agreement, AD Ports Group and the CMA CGM Group are further cementing their partnership after the inauguration of CMA Terminals Khalifa Port last December, an $845 million (AED3.1 billion) container terminal that will eventually expand Khalifa Port’s container capacity of 7.8 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in 2024 by 33 percent or 2.6 million TEUs.
In The Republic of Congo, CMA CGM shipping line holds the leading position in exports and ranks second in imports and transshipment, with historically an overall container volume market share in the country of about 35 percent.
The JV has confirmed that the terminal will be operated as a ‘multi-user‘ facility and AD Ports Group will maintain controlling majority ownership in management and operation of the terminal and as such the operations will still be fully consolidated.
Mohamed Eidha Al Menhali, Regional CEO of AD Ports Group, said that, “This agreement further enhances our strategic partnership with CMA CGM in several markets and projects along global trade lines, the latest of which was the inauguration of CMA Terminals Khalifa Port last December. Our collaboration at the port of Pointe Noire is a continuation of this association.”
“We look forward to jointly developing and managing phase 1 of the New East Mole multipurpose terminal with the CMA CGM Group. We believe this partnership will position the Republic of Congo at the center of maritime trade, in line with projections for annual growth of 3 to 5 percent in container volumes forecast for the country over the medium term,” Al Menhali added.
Christine Cabau Woehrel, Executive Vice President for Assets and Operations, CMA CGM Group, commented that, “Our investment with AD Ports Group at the Port of Pointe Noire is a new milestone of our strategic collaboration between CMA T and AD Ports Group as we enable modern, sustainable ports and maritime infrastructure for the next wave of global trade. We look forward to bringing the operational and economic benefits of this collaborative, sustainable approach to The Republic of the Congo and its importers and exporters.”
The multipurpose terminal is set to become a hub for trade and commerce in the region, enhancing job creation, providing knowledge transfer, and connecting Congo-Brazzaville to global markets.
The New East Mole multipurpose terminal at the Port of Pointe Noire has already placed an order for three Super Post-Panamax Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes, which represent the latest generation in high-performance port equipment.
Additionally, Pointe Noire will receive nine hybrid Rubber-Tyred Gantry Cranes (RTGs) and other associated handling equipment. These hybrid RTGs offer significant environmental benefits, reducing diesel consumption by up to 60 percent, equivalent to saving 1 million litres of diesel annually, and cutting approximately 5,000 tons of CO2 emissions, reducing the carbon footprint, and promoting the sustainability goals of Congo-Brazzaville.
