• AD Ports signs 30-year concession to build dry bulk terminal in Douala
• €73.4m investment planned for first phase between 2026 and 2028
• Project aims to strengthen regional supply chains amid competition

UAE-based AD Ports has partnered with Africa Ports Development (APD) under a 30-year concession agreement to design, build, and operate a new dry bulk terminal at the Port of Douala in Cameroon.

Under the investment structure, AD Ports and two other unnamed Emirati investors will hold a 60% stake in the operating company, while APD will own the remaining 40%.

AD Ports will invest about €73.4 million (around $87.1 million) in the first phase of development. Construction is scheduled to run from 2026 to 2028 and includes two berths and about 450 meters of quay. The terminal will have an annual handling capacity of about 4 million tons of dry bulk cargo, including clinker, gypsum, fertilizer, and grain.

The infrastructure is intended to expand the port’s capacity for dry bulk cargo, a segment experiencing sustained growth in demand.

According to information reported by Business in Cameroon, the project also includes the construction of roads, a rail connection, gas pipelines, and a modern fire protection system. These investments form part of a broader expansion plan for the Port of Douala, which also includes the development of a power plant and bypass roads to ease heavy truck traffic.

As the country’s main maritime gateway, the Port of Douala handles most of Cameroon’s bulk imports and serves as a logistics hub for landlocked markets in Central Africa. “The new terminal will strengthen regional supply chains and optimize flows of key commodities,” AD Ports said.

The investment drive also reflects growing competition from neighboring ports, particularly Pointe-Noire in the Republic of Congo, which shares part of the same hinterland, including the Central African Republic and Chad. In recent years, Chad has sought to diversify its supply routes.

In 2023, AD Ports secured a concession at the Port of Pointe-Noire to develop a new multipurpose terminal.

Henoc Dossa