(Business in Cameroon) – The second container terminal at the Kribi deep seaport in southern Cameroon, with a quay length of 715 meters—double the length of the first terminal—is nearing completion. “The construction work is practically finished and has even been technically approved. I can confidently say the first ship will dock at Kribi by late February or early March 2025. By the end of the first quarter, this facility will be fully operational,” said Patrice Melom, Director General of the Kribi Port Authority (PAK), in a video posted on the port’s official website.
According to Melom, the launch of this second terminal will enable Kribi to rival other major ports in the Gulf of Guinea. Like the first terminal, the new facility, which includes a 33-hectare storage area, will be operated by Kribi Conteneurs Terminal (KCT).
KCT, a joint venture between logistics firm Africa Global Logistics (formerly Bolloré), Chinese company CHEC, and French shipping giant CMA CGM, has already received port equipment for the terminal. These deliveries, made between September 12 and October 14, 2024, represent an investment of over CFA50 billion, with the total cost projected at CFA70 billion.
The second container terminal is part of Phase 2 of the Kribi deep seaport construction project, which includes terminals for hydrocarbons and minerals. This phase is critical to supporting Cameroon’s emerging mining sector. The terminal, built at an estimated cost of CFA400 billion, is 75% funded by China’s Eximbank.
“The second phase of KCT operations will create over 300 direct jobs, strengthen Kribi’s industrial-port platform, and boost economic exchanges across the subregion,” said David Azra, Managing Director of KCT, which operates both container terminals at the port.
