Port of Malabo Expands

Budd Equatorial Guinea reports on the latest improvements in the port of Malabo.

From last Friday, 13 February 2009, the new East berth of Malabo Commercial Port has been in use.

The new berth is intended to be for container vessels but also takes break bulk when the West berth is congested.

The previously-existing West berth is still working but is now reserved solely for break bulk cargo.

It was hoped that the creation of the new East berth would reduce port congestion and happily enough, its effect on congestion is already noticeable.

The particulars of Malabo Commercial port are as follows:

East Berth:

Maximum draft: 9.00 metres.
Berthing line: 350 metres.

West Berth:

Maximum draft is 8.5 m aft and 7.0 m fw, berthing stb to shore.
Maximum LOA is 190 m.

General:

No Beam restrictions.
No shore cranes. Vessels must be geared.
The rate of discharge for big bags is, depending on the vessel's cranes’ capacities, around 1,000 mt per day per crane.
Stevedoring operations continue around the clock 24/24, but berthing and un-berthing operations only take place in the daytime (09:00 to 17:00).
Cargo delivery and reception are only possible during the daytime from Monday to midday Saturday (not on Saturday afternoon or on Sunday).

18 Feb 2009 - 12:22:21