CMA CGM will be managing and operating the multi-purpose terminal being built at the Port of Alexandria which will begin operations by 2022.
In a statement, the French shipping group said Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and chief executive officer of the CMA CGM Group, confirmed the plan for both CMA CGM and the Port of Alexandria to enter into a long-term partnership for the operation and management of Pier 55, its upcoming multi-purpose terminal on a recent visit to Egypt.
New terminal at the port of Alexandria
Operations are planned to start in 2022. CMA CGM said the terminal, which covers an area of 560,000 square meters with quays of over 2 km in length, will have a capacity of around 1.5 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) and will facilitate the deployment of the Group’s larger vessels.
It noted that the move is also a strategic choice for the development of CMA CGM’s port operations in the Mediterranean.
In Egypt, the Group currently employs almost 300 people and calls 6 ports, linking the country to the rest of the world. Each year, Group’s vessels cross the Suez Canal more than 700 times.
"CMA CGM strengthens its strategic positioning and expertise as a container terminal operator in the Mediterranean with terminal capacities of almost 7 million TEUs," it said.
At the crossroads between Africa, Asia and Europe, the Mediterranean represents a major area for the development of the Group’s operations in maritime transportation, port operations and logistics, it added.
Meanwhile, CMA CGM said it will deploy its future LNG vessels in the Mediterranean.
"Committed to the energy transition of the maritime industry, the Group will also deploy on its service between Asia and the Mediterranean LNG-powered vessels of 15,000 TEUs by the end of 2021," its statement read.
"As part of his strategic vision, Rodolphe Saadé has decided to choose Marseille-Fos to bunker these new LNG vessels, making the Mediterranean a major area for the development of the use of LNG," it added.
CMA CGM noted that the partnership will also include the development of logistics solutions, digitalization, the contribution to the training of younger generations in maritime and logistics, as well as other investments.
