New Terminal at Abidjan Port

Construction of the Port of Abidjan’s second container terminal, the Côte d’Ivoire Terminal (CIT), will boost the competitiveness of the Port of Abidjan by adding an additional annual capacity of 1.2 million TEU from its first phase of development.

Located adjacent to the existing Abidjan Terminal, the new terminal With an area of 37.5 hectares, the CIT will also be able to offer greater capacity for handling goods at Abidjan port, and thus improve the flow of Côte d’Ivoire’s imports and exports. The terminal will be operated through a joint venture of APM Terminals and Bolloré Ports.

Construction officially started on 5 October 2020 on the project and the terminal is due to become operational by the end of 2021, and is being built by the China Harbour Engineering Company.

David Skov, Vice President, Head of Africa and Middle East Portfolio at APM Terminals said that once operations at the CIT begin, Abidjan will become the sole port in West Africa capable of handling very large vessels of up to 14,000 TEUs. 

The CIT’s advanced container-handling facilities and deep draft will also reduce cargo handling costs, and increase trade growth and transshipment volumes. It will have a 1,100-metre quay equipped with STS cranes; a rail yard with two tracks of 300 metres each; and reefer plugs for up to 1,100 containers.

The CIT will significantly alter the dynamics of trade in the West African region. Once the terminal is operational, Abidjan port will not only meet the requirements of the local market, but the spare capacity of the CIT will enable it to become the preferred gateway for neighbouring countries. 

Currently, nearby landlocked nations, such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, rely on less optimal routes due to capacity restrictions at their domestic gateway terminals. According to Philippe Labonne, CEO of Bolloré Ports, the port will also position itself as a transshipment destination for surrounding coastal countries.