(Ecofin Agency) - The Ivorian authorities launched, on 6^th October, the expansion works of the Autonomous Port of Abidjan (PAA), which cost is of FCfa 560 billion (approximately 854 million Euros).

The works which will be undertaken by the China Harbour Engineering group over a period of 4 years consist in building a second container terminal capable of accommodating the “biggest container ships sailing the West African coasts” and “digging a deeper entry point for the Vridi Canal” (achieved in 1950) and “modernising the wharves”.

The project is funded by the Chinese bank of Export-Import (China Eximbank) which provided 85% of the financing. The goal is to make the Abidjan Port, which currently has a traffic of 25 million tons per year, the “number one port in sub-Saharan Africa”.

A consortium made up of 2 French groups, Bolloré Africa Logistics and Bouygues Travaux Publics, and APM Terminals from the Maersk group (Denmark) were granted the construction and operation rights of the second container terminal in the Abidjan Port in March 2013.

The Bolloré group, specialised in port and rail logistics in Côte d’Ivoire, is in charge since 2004 of the management and operation of the first container terminal at the port.

PAA, leader in West Africa and representing 90% of Côte d’Ivoire’s foreign exchanges, also supplies the sub-regional landlocked countries (Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso).