Bolloré Ports has announced that extension work on its Freetown Terminal concession, located in Sierra Leone, has been completed.
In order to celebrate the end of extension work, His Excellency Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, and Cyrille Bolloré, CEO of Bolloré Transport & Logistics, attended an official ceremony.
Bolloré Ports, which won the international tender launched by the Sierra Leonean authorities in March 2011, has been tasked with bringing the Freetown Terminal up to the highest international standards.
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Work completed as part of the improvement project included the refurbishment of existing yards, which were upgraded with modern equipment such as ship-to shore cranes (STSs), rubber-tyred gantry cranes (RTGs) and reachstackers.
According to a statement, an increase in traffic of over 30% has been made achievable by the new equipment.
With an additional 270-metre-long quay, with a water depth of 13 metres, the extended terminal can now accommodate 6,000-TEU vessels.
The work is expected increase the terminal’s overall capacity, as well as facilitating trade and boosting the local economy.
Cyril Bolloré commented: “This partnership between the Sierra Leone government and the Bolloré Group is an illustration of a successful public-private partnership, we are very proud of the work accomplished by our teams.
“Our commitment to the country is long-term and we really want to support its logistic transformation to contribute to the growth of Sierra Leone's economy.”
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