International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) has signed a concession contract with the Port Autonome de Kribi (PAK) for the development, operation and maintenance of the Kribi Multipurpose Terminal (KMT) in Cameroon.

With the signing of the contract, KMT, a subsidiary of ICTSI, will now be the official concessionaire of the multipurpose terminal for the next 25 years.  

KMT is a newly built deep-water port located 150 kilometres south of Douala. Phase 1 consists of 265 + 63 meters of berth and a 10-hectare yard. Phase 2 will include an additional 350 meters of berth and 23 hectares of yard.

Kribi port is surrounded by the Kribi Industrial Area, a 262 square-kilometre zone destined to accommodate new industrial and logistical developments supporting the growing Cameroonian economy.

Full operation in a few months

“Our purpose as a company is to make the Port of Kribi a driver for positive and sustainable growth, thus ICTSI will work diligently to partner the Cameroonian business community by providing efficient and safe port services,” said Hans-Ole Madsen, ICTSI senior vice president and regional head for Europe, Middle East and Africa.

He noted that the port will also act as a catalyst for Cameroons foreign trade and actively promote the Kribi Logistic Corridor – encompassing Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon – an area home to more than 50 million people.  

KMT is purposely built to handle multipurpose shipping services including Ro-Ro, project and heavy lift cargo, forestry products, dry bulk and other general cargoes, and to offer support services to the oil and gas industry. 

More investments

KMT provides 16 meters of deep water access and is equipped with state-of-the-art handling equipment including two mobile harbour cranes, providing an annual capacity of 1.5 million tons.

ICTSI said KMT is capable of accommodating the largest vessels plying the waters.

ICTSI noted that it will further invest in KMT's infrastructure and superstructure, and by 2024 the port will double in size.

The expansion will include additional modern handling equipment, storage facilities and modern IT platforms.