International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) and Dredging International have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to co-operate in the further deepening of the Congo River. The consortium, with DRC Government support, foresees gradual deepening of the river to an eventual depth of 40ft and beyond.
As explained, this is expected to eliminate current draught restrictions in the Divagante area near Boma, and enable direct calls by mainline vessels at the ports of Matadi and Boma. In this way, both ports aim to resume their roles as the preferred natural gateways to the capital city of Kinshasa and its surrounding extensive hinterland, home to a rapidly growing market of 30 million people, the single largest in Central Africa.
The project, requiring an initial investment of €35 million, will deliver extensive operational efficiencies and cost savings to the western DRC supply chain and the market as a whole, with these progressively realized from 2018 onwards.
“We look forward to working with Dredging International and the DRC Government to realize this important project and the diverse benefits it will deliver to the transportation sector and the economy as a whole. It builds on the co-operative approach taken to the development of the Matadi Gateway Terminal and will represent a key component in the modernization of DRC marine infrastructure with benefits felt along the whole supply chain,” underlines Hans-Ole Madsen, Senior Vice President, ICTSI, Europe, Middle East and Africa region.
