A successful negotiation with Chinese officials has enabled the Tanzanian Government to push the date of construction forward on an US$11 billion mega-port to this year, as opposed to January 2015.
The Bagamoyo mega-port is to be developed by China Merchants Holdings International and will be expanded in stages over a period of 30 years, giving it an eventual capacity of 20 million containers a year.
It will also have the capability to handle roll on, roll off ships and new Panamax container vessels with a capacity up to 10,000 TEU.
When completed, the port will cover about 800ha. Around it will be a 1,700ha special economic zone. The intention is to encourage businesses to process or refine Tanzania’s raw materials, thereby capturing more of the value chain.
Adelhelm Meru, the director general of the Export Processing Zones Authority said he wanted to attract “industries specialising in value-addition of agricultural products.”
The first phase of work, the quay, the container yards, the cargo terminals and all dredging work will be completed by 2017, with the zone being fully developed by 2024.
