The government of Mauritania is set to launch a tender for the development of a deep water port in the country’s 2nd largest city, Nouadhibou, by the end of this year.
Following the cancellation of previous negotiations for the development with China Harbour Engineering Company in year 2019, the Mauritanian government, through agency Agence pour la Promotion des Investissements en Mauritanie (APIM), is set to prioritize the construction of the deep water port of Nouadhibou to promote trading for economic and GDP growth.
With new economic opportunities rising for Mauritania at the back of recent large-scale gas discoveries including the Grande Tortue Ahmeyim and the BirAllah ultra-deep water conventional projects, as well as increased focus on exploration and monetization of oil, iron ore, uranium, gold, copper, gypsum, and phosphate rock, the deep water port provides an opportunity for improved trading with international markets such as Europe and America.
With APIM already initiating talks with potential investors for financing of the $ 323 million project during meetings held in Paris and Abidjan, the government is now awaiting the release of 2 reports to analyse the technical and financial feasibility of the project to begin with the launch of the tender.
The development of the multipurpose terminal is expected to be undertaken under a public-private partnerships model. Once complete, the port will be able to receive vessels with a maximum draught of 12 to 13.25 m and process traffic of around 325,000 containers by 2035.