Budd Morocco reports that the Port authority of Casablanca has decided to suspend all port movements. This decision follows the fall of several containers into the sea...
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Gabon: New Owendo International Port Increases Capacity and Reduces Costs
Last month, Gabon’s President, Mr Ali Bongo, officially inaugurated the New Owendo International Port (NOIP), some 18 kms south of Libreville. The new facility first opened for business in June 2017 and offers a 25% reduction in handling costs while doubling Owendo’s
capacity. It provides extended transatlantic opportunities for trade and should result in a reduction in the cost of living for the Gabonese who rely heavily on imported goods.
Gabon is currently the fifth largest oil producer in Africa but it also has well-established timber and mining industries. To consolidate its economy, the country aims to reduce its dependence on crude oil, to diversify its use of sustainable energies in and around the ports, and to promote Gabon’s exports of wood, agricultural and mined goods.
The New Port comprises a two-berth 420-metre quay with both fixed and gantry cranes to handle up to 150,000 containers a year and reduce the duration of port calls. Four grain silos and seven palm oil tanks complete the new port’s facilities.
This latest development is one of several joint ventures which have extended and enhanced Gabon’s ports in recent years.