A consortium formed by Bolloré Ports and PowerChina International Group has won an international tender to build and operate the future deep-sea port at Akwa Ibom in Nigeria.
The consortium will develop and operate the port over a period of 50 years alongside the Nigeria Ports Authority, the Federal Government of Nigeria, and the Akwa Ibom State.
The Ibom Deep Sea Port (IDSP) will develop the existing port capacity and open a new shipping gateway with direct access to Nigeria's East and North-Eastern regions.
Works will include dredging a channel over 20 kilometres long and 18 metres deep, erecting a breakwater of 1,100 metres, and building over 2,500 metres of quay and the dedicated handling equipment for all types of activity, namely, containers, general cargo, and bulk.
With a draught of 16 metres, the new port will be able to receive large-capacity vessels (i.e. Post Panamax and New Panamax) and handle over 2.24 million TEUs per year in the long term.