Douala Port Authority: Minister lays foundation stone of Container Terminal extension project.

The minister was accompanied during the laying of the foundation stone by the Director General of the Douala Port Authority, Cyrus Ngo’o, and his close collaborators.

Representatives of the contracting company, NEGRI et Fils, authorities of the Littoral Region, Chiefs of the Sawa community amongst other personalities also lived the event. 

The extension project involves the construction of a fourth quay called ‘Quay 17’, measuring 250 linear metres and the development of 7.9 hectares of terminal yard space area, and adding 1,200 metres of roadways. 

The Container Terminal Management Authority, RTC, of the Douala Port by virtue of implementation of the project, wants to increase the terminal’s handling capacity to one million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units, TEUs by 2026. 

Why the expansion

In his speech, the Director General of PAD, Cyrus Ngo’o, described the project as strategic. He said it will significantly boost operational capacities, increase its handling capabilities and improve operational efficiency. 

The expansion, he said, is driven by the need to accommodate growing container traffic, modernise infrastructure and enhance the port’s competitiveness as a regional hub. 

He recalled that President of the Republic in his speech in 2011 stated government’s sectoral policy for strengthening the national port industry. 

He quoted the President Biya as saying during his speech in Douala on October 6, 2011, that: “Douala must become the reference port of the Gulf of Guinea”. 

This, Cyrus Ngo’o said, set a clear direction to make the Port of Douala-Bonaberi a modern, competitive port and a catalyst for national economic development. 

In alignment with President Biya’s vision, he said the Port Authority of Douala launched ambitious modernisation and expansion program, built around a Master Development Plan for the years 2020-2050 

The said plan, he detailed, highlighted the need to expand the terminal—specifically through the construction of an additional quay and the development of new storage areas, due to the growing container traffic and the current saturation of the terminal which it may no longer be able to handle expected traffic by 2030 if its infrastructure is not expanded.

The expansion project, he added, includes transitioning to full Rubber Tyred Gantry, RTG operations, which involves using specialised cranes for container handling. 

The shift, he noted, is expected to significantly improve the speed and efficiency of container movement within the terminal. The port, Cyrus Ngo’o added, is also investing in modern equipment and streamlining container flow management to reduce delays 

Cyrus Ngo’o said the Port of Douala is a major gateway for Cameroon's international trade and serves as a key transit point for neighboring countries. 

By expanding the container terminal, Cyrus Ngo’o said the PAD aims to strengthen its position as a leading port in Central Africa and attract more shipping lines and cargo volume. 

He said the improvements will also help reduce turnaround times for ships, making the port more attractive to shipping companies and importers. The project, he further noted, is expected to create jobs and boost economic activity in the region. 

“Medium and long-term traffic forecasts for containers at the Port of Douala show that, under an optimistic scenario, traffic could double by 2030, rising from the current 380,000 twenty-foot equivalent units, TEUs to around 796,000 TEUs,” Cyrus Ngo’o stated.

He went on to state that: “In the longer term, this figure could exceed one million, reaching approximately 1.8 million TEUs by 2050. Naturally, traffic of that magnitude cannot be handled by current infrastructure, which is already facing advanced saturation”. 

Importance of Quay 17 to the Master Plan

The development of Quay 17 project, it was said, will provide a partial response to the traffic growth projections outlined. 

However, a complete solution to the traffic would mean other investment programs included in the Master Plan to meet future port capacity requirements, aligned with maritime traffic growth and the needs of the port industry are carried out.

These include; the development of the future Multimodal Logistics Zone on the banks of the Dibamba River in Missolè 1, the expansion of the port on Manoka Island among others.

All of these, have the goal of accommodating the largest container ships currently in operation on global shipping routes.

“As you can understand, the Quay 17 project is part of an ongoing investment initiative already undertaken by the Autonomous Port of Douala, using its own funds, in order to effectively respond to government policies and directives,” Cyrus Ngo'o said, before thanking financial partners who have over the years committed to mobilise fundings for the expansion project

NEGRi CEO commits to full execution 

While presenting the technicalities of the works, Stephane de La PLACE, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NEGRI et Fils, reiterated the company’s stance to fully execute the project within the prescribed length of time. 

These technical and commercial finalisation of the project were enshrined in a partnership agreement between the Autonomous Port of Douala and the Construction and Operations Company of the Port of Douala-Bonaberi, SCEPDB.

According to NEGRI, the investment amounting to 47,277,592,936 FCFA, and entirely financed by SCEPDB, is part of a Public-Private Partnership, PPP, comprising of three important phases. 

The first part, it was said, has to do with relocation of the 10,000-ton floating dock, currently bogged down on the site. Officials said there is also the construction of a new 250-meter-long quay, development of 7 hectares of inner quays, installation of a RoRo Roll-on/Roll-off, station for loading and unloading vehicles. 

Logistic modernisation, extension of 1,200 linear meters of RTG, Rubber Tyred Gantry tracks to optimise handling operations are also included in the project. The work duration will span for 30 months with an exploitation period of 10 years.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3503 of Monday July 14, 2025