AD Ports, CMA CGM to develop, operate multipurpose terminal in Congo

The UAE-based terminal operator AD Ports Group has signed a shareholders’ agreement with French shipping and logistics major CMA CGM Group, through its subsidiary CMA Terminals, to jointly develop, manage and operate the New East Mole multipurpose terminal in Pointe Noire, Congo-Brazzaville.

With the signing, AD Ports and CMA CGM formed a joint venture, majority-owned by AD Ports Group, for the multipurpose terminal at the Port of Pointe Noire, which will handle containers, general, break-bulk and other types of cargo at the Central West African nation’s biggest Atlantic port.

AD Ports Group received a 30-year extendable concession for the terminal in June 2023. At the time, AD Ports Group said it expected to invest about $220 million to build a 400-meter quay wall at a 16-meter 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 AED 3.1 billion ($845 million) container terminal that will eventually expand Khalifa Port’s container capacity of 7.8 million TEUs in 2024 by 33% or 2.6 million TEUs.

In The Republic of Congo, CMA CGM is said to hold ‘the leading position’ in exports and rank second in imports and transshipment, with historically an overall container volume market share in the country of about 35%.

The JV has confirmed that the terminal will be operated as a ‘multi-user’ facility and AD Ports Group will maintain majority ownership in the management and operation of the terminal and as such the operations will still be fully consolidated.

“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,” Mohamed Eidha Al Menhali, Regional CEO of AD Ports Group, commented.

“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 centre of maritime trade, in line with projections for annual growth of 3% to 5% in container volumes forecast for the country over the medium term.”

“Our investment with AD Ports Group at the Port of Pointe Noire is a new milestone of our strategic collaboration between CMA T and ADP 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 to its importers and exporters,” Christine Cabau Woehrel, Executive Vice President for Assets and Operations, CMA CGM Group, said.

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. 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%, equivalent to saving 1 million liters of diesel annually, and cutting approximately 5,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, reducing the carbon footprint, and promoting the sustainability goals of Congo-Brazzaville.

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