• Trial phase begins with arrival of CMA CGM HELIUM
• Terminal targets capacity of up to 3.5 million TEUs per year
• Project supports Egypt’s push to become a regional port hub

Egypt’s Ministry of Transport has launched the trial phase of Container Terminal 1 at Sokhna Port, located in the Suez Canal Economic Zone. The step marks a new milestone in the development of the port platform.

As part of the trial operations, the container ship CMA CGM HELIUM, arriving from Singapore, docked at the quay.

Operated by a consortium bringing together China’s Hutchison Ports and COSCO, alongside France’s CMA CGM, the container terminal is set to become one of the largest in Egypt. It has been developed with a total quay length of 2.6 km and covers an area of 1.6 million square meters, with planned annual capacity of up to 3.5 million TEUs. The facility is designed to accommodate ultra-large container vessels of up to about 400 meters in length.

The investment is part of Egypt’s strategy to position itself as a leading African port hub, particularly for trade flows between Asia, Europe, and Africa. The project also comes alongside investments in several other port complexes located along the Red Sea.

It is aligned with the Egyptian government’s broader objective of moving beyond the Suez Canal’s traditional role as a maritime transit route, and transforming it into an integrated port and industrial zone.

Henoc Dossa