The concession for the Kribi Container Terminal is 25 years and CMA CGM said vessels up to 8,000 teu capacity would be able to call the 1.4m teu capacity container terminal. “When finished, it will be composed of a 700 metre length wharf and a 32 hectare platform made for 16 metre draught. A first 350 meter length wharf will be operational within a few months,” it said.
With Cameroon a growing market, Kribi is expected to become a regional hub for the African Atlantic coast, from Senegal to Gabon.
“We would like to thank the Government of Cameroon for the transparent selection of our offer, which provided the best financial and technical guarantees,” said Farid T. Salem, CMA CGM group executive officer.
“CMA CGM and its partners will make Kribi container terminal an international terminal which will bring dynamism to the Cameroonian economy. With this new terminal, Cameroon will be at the heart of international trade.”
Kribi is located around 75 miles south of Cameroon's main existing port, Douala, known as the Douala International Terminal, which is run jointly by Bolloré Africa Logistics and APM Terminals. Draught there is said to be limited to seven metres, a main reason for the development of the new port.
A CMA CGM newsletter said that in FY2014, 23 vessels got stuck in the “sediment ridden” channel approaching Douala port, and had to divert cargoes to Pointe Noire, Congo and Cotonou, Benin.
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