The Port Authority of Douala (PAD) plans to sign a strategic partnership with Hydrocarbures, analyses et contrôles (Hydrac), a subsidiary of state oil company Société nationale des hydrocarbures (SNH), to strengthen technical supervision of its infrastructure.
PAD Director General Cyrus Ngo’o announced the initiative on Feb. 27, 2026, during an inspection tour of construction sites across the port.
“We are very satisfied with the progress of the construction sites and hope to establish a collaboration framework with Hydrac in the coming days so that we can benefit from the expertise of this public company,” Ngo’o said.
PAD said the planned partnership is part of a broader effort to secure and improve the reliability of the port’s major modernization projects.
The agreement would focus on ensuring infrastructure quality through independent technical inspections of port structures. Hydrac would be involved from the design phase through to the final inspection and acceptance of the works, with the aim of guaranteeing structural integrity and compliance with technical standards.
Specialized in petroleum inspection, an activity considered critical for the port’s terminals, Hydrac operates in areas such as cargo measurement, tank sealing and the analysis of cargo losses during transshipment operations. The company is expected to support several major projects, including a 300-megawatt power plant intended to stabilize the port’s energy supply, as well as the modernization of the fishing terminal and the mixed bulk terminal.
Founded in January 1982 to safeguard Cameroon’s interests in petroleum transactions, Hydrac says it now operates across a broader range of activities. These include inspections in the upstream and downstream oil sectors, regulatory technical controls, construction inspection missions, laboratory analysis, environmental monitoring and technical training.
PAD said the planned agreement on technical oversight builds on inspection work Hydrac has already carried out for port infrastructure. By drawing on this expertise, the authority aims to reduce operational risks while strengthening the attractiveness of its port hub.
Frédéric Nonos
