Dubai-based global marine terminal operator DP World has officially opened a modern container terminal in the West African nation of Senegal.

Expanded and upgraded by DP World Dakar, Terminal à Conteneur was declared open by Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal, together with Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman, DP World.

Following a concession agreement signed in 2007, the terminal’s capacity has been increased to more than double – from less than 300,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent container units) to more than 600,000 TEU.

“The expansion of the terminal and the upgrading of the facilities and equipment makes DP World Dakar the most modern and efficient terminal in western Africa,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem.

“Our experience is that economies grow as efficient infrastructure comes on line and today it opens up a whole new world of economic possibilities for Senegal and West African communities. We are grateful to the Government of Senegal for their support and cooperation in helping to make this possible.”

Mohammed Sharaf, chief executive officer, DP World, said: “We congratulate all those involved on their commitment and professional execution of the project. As Africa’s favoured first port of call for vessels south-bound from Europe, DP World Dakar occupies an important place in our global portfolio. We believe the successful completion of the development at the Autonomous Port of Dakar will ably meet our customers’ needs in this fast developing region.”

Bara Sady, managing director Dakar Port Authority, said: “This ceremony is a significant step in our partnership with DP World. It shows our respective commitment to realize our ambition to improve quality of service at Dakar port container terminal. I can express our satisfaction on DP World Dakar operation in our port and look forward to an increase of the throughput of containers in the terminal.”

Since winning the concession in 2007, DP World has introduced window berthing, where vessels book a specific time they can berth, virtually eliminating waiting time at anchorage. DP World Dakar is the only port in the region offering this service, a statement said.

In addition, DP World has reduced truck turnaround time to less than half an hour, and introduced clear tariffs and processes supported by modern technology systems. The result of these improvements has been an increase of around a third in volumes through the port, with the resultant benefits for the trade and Senegal’s economy.

DP World Dakar has directly created more than 200 jobs for local Senegalese people, the statement said. – TradeArabia News Service