(Business in Cameroon) – The Port Authority of Douala (PAD) and Douala Port Container Solution SA (DPCS) have signed a landmark agreement to build a 25-hectare logistics platform dedicated to the storage and management of empty containers. Signed on May 30, 2025, in Douala by Cyrus Ngo’o, Director General of PAD, and Evariste Eloundou Onana, General Administrator of DPCS, the project is set to transform operations at the Port of Douala’s timber dock.
The public-private partnership (PPP) is financed and will be executed by DPCS, a project company of the Cameroonian group Project Partners, which specializes in the port, shipping, and maritime industries. The agreement spans 28 years, allocating one year for design studies, two years for construction, and a 25-year operational phase.
Development plans include a 21-hectare area for container storage, a 1-hectare zone for empty container repairs, and a dedicated refrigerated container management area. This refrigerated section will feature approximately 240 outlets, designed to proactively address potential congestion at the main container terminal.
Beyond core container facilities, the project encompasses the construction of a head office, a 5,800-square-meter technical zone, and a 5,000-square-meter green space. Supporting infrastructure will include two 300-square-meter gatehouses, a 5,000-square-meter engine maintenance area, and a 4,000-square-meter administrative building housing various offices for the logistics zone’s services.
DPCS will also undertake complementary activities, such as stacking and preparing empty containers before the stuffing of raw materials like cocoa, coffee, or cotton. The platform will additionally offer rentable storage space. The total project cost is estimated at 50.4 billion CFA francs, with DPCS contributing 10 billion CFA francs (20%) in equity and securing the remaining 40 billion CFA francs (80%) from financial partners.
According to PAD, the project is projected to yield an impressive internal rate of return of approximately 18%. By the end of its operational period, it is expected to generate total revenues of around 220 billion CFA francs. DPCS will receive an estimated 128 billion CFA francs (58%), while PAD royalties and state duties and taxes are projected to amount to 91 billion CFA francs (42%).
Joseph Nguene Nteppe, Head of the Analysis and Cooperation Division at PAD, stated the initiative is expected to create 1,200 direct and indirect jobs. Furthermore, he noted its contribution to modernizing and securing handling operations at the Port of Douala, simultaneously boosting the port’s overall revenues.
Frédéric Nonos
