CMA CGM awarded Beirut port concession

The company said operations will begin in March 2022 with a target of 1.m teu.

Beirut Port was badly damaged by a massive explosion in August 2020.

The CMA CGM Group, which already has a strong presence in Lebanon, currently accounts for almost 55% of the container terminal’s volumes, since it has maintained its nine weekly calls and transhipment operations there. The group said it plans a $33m investment, including $19m over the first two years, to rebuild and modernise the terminal.

“Faithful to our commitments to Lebanon, we will be launching shortly an ambitious investment plan that will transform Beirut port’s container terminal into a state-of-the-art facility that meets the best international standards,” commented Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group.

CMA CGM plans include a complete infrastructure upgrade: refurbishment, replacement, and acquisition of new port equipment, the construction of a new technical facility for maintenance and spare parts storage, and digital transformation of the terminal.

The CMA CGM Group, which was founded in Lebanon 43 years ago, is deeply attached to the Port of Beirut, which plays a vital economic role for the capital and the country.

Following the full acquisition of the container terminal inside Tripoli port back in 2021, considered as the country’s second commercial port, CMA CGM aims at strengthening its presence at Lebanon’s ports.

CMA CGM currently has investments in 52 port terminals across 33 countries via its subsidiaries CMA Terminals and Terminal Link.

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