PM releases winners of tenders for Kribi deep sea port project

After several months of procedures imbued with suspense, Cameroonian Prime Minister, Philémon Yang, signed two releases on the publication of the results of the tender for the concession of terminals for containers and vessels at the Kribi deep sea port.

The release, which was signed on August 26, 2015, included the construction of the first phase completed in the South Region of Cameroon.

According to these documents, the coveted container terminal goes to the Bolloré Africa Logistics group, an acclaimed leadership in logistics integrated in sub-Saharan Africa; CHEC, the Chinese company which built the Kribi deam sea port, and CMA CGM, the 3rd world shipowner.

With a final financial offer of 623.4 million euros (about 409 billion FCFA), Franco-Chinese consortium, making the race since the opening phase of tenders until the dialogue of pre-qualification, edged ICTSI, whose financial offer of 472.4 million euros (about 309 billion FCFA) was 100 billion FCFA less than that of the group led by Bolloré. As the 3rd competitor, APMT in this case, completed the process with a financial offer of 403.6 million euros (about 264 billion FCFA).

Smit Lamnalco reigns on towing

Next to the successful tenderer for the concession of the container terminal, the release from the Cameroonian PM attributed the concession of the versatile terminal for what would become the largest port infrastructure of Cameroon. This will be to the group constituting the French logistician Necotrans, and KPMO, a consortium of nine national operators (APM, 2M, Transimex, Sapem, 3T Cameroun, Cam-Transit, Copem, STAR and GOS) in activity at the port of Douala.

Again, ICTSI and APMT were beaten. According to our sources, KPMO speculated a 20% of the assets reserved for nationals in the capital of the company to be established for the management of the container terminal.

The last two dealers designated on August 26, 2015 by the Cameroonian government on the Kribi deep sea port, the Dutch company, Smit Lamnalco, who won the towing concession and mooring services. It was under the terms of April 20, 2015 release by the Chairman of the Steering Committee and the monitoring of the realization of the industrial port complex of Kribi, Louis Paul Motazé, who also Secretary general of services of the Prime Minister.

Pending the signature of the individual contracts, the constitution of the public entity which will manage this port infrastructure, the list of the future operators of the Kribi deep sea port, which already boasts the best draught on the West African coast, was released.

As a reminder, this platform, including the second phase of the construction includes infrastructure, implementation of a 2nd container terminal and ore and oil terminals; has for several months gantries and two tug acquired by the State of Cameroon.