Company Announcement - International Container Terminal Services Inc.new terminal, located at Matadi on the Congo River, Democratic Republic of the Congo, is on schedule to open for business in August 2016.  The new terminal will deliver purpose-designed container handling capacity coupled with modern general cargo handling and storage facilities. Matadi is the chief sea port of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the capital of the Kongo-Central province.  It is situated on the left bank of the Congo River 148 km (92 miles) from the mouth and 8 km (5 miles) below the last navigable point before rapids make the river impassable.  The port serves an extensive hinterland including the capital city of Kinshasa, the largest city in Central Africa.

The ICTSI DR Congo Terminal will initially commence operations in August 2016, with one berth.  Full delivery of Phase One, incorporating a second berth and total quay line of 350m will be by November 2016.  Container handling capacity will be 175,000TEU/yr with a nine hectare terminal area incorporating a yard area of six hectares.  Depth alongside the quay will be 12m at all times, offering the ability to serve Panamax, Handymax and Wafmax vessels.

As part of the overall development plan, ICTSI is also actively investigating the impact and opportunities for dredging the river in steps from 7.3m to 9.1m, 11m and eventually possibly even 12m.  With the material to be dredged mainly sand there is considered to be real scope to achieve this and the delivery of wide economic benefits.Handling operations along the 350m quay will be via heavy duty mobile cranes with reach stackers in the yard area for container handling. The Terminal Operating System will be Navis N4, incorporating value-added functions such as integrated billing, etc.

Construction activity to date at the terminal site, which is located south west of Pont Marechal (before the bridge) and the existing public port, has seen the completion of the access road, commencement of piling for the quay and the start of works on the yard area and terminal building and gates. “We are very pleased to be progressing this USD 100m investment on schedule in Matadi, says Hans-Ole Madsen, ICTSI Senior Vice President for Europe, Middle East and Africa regions. “The works are going well,” he underlined, “and we are very confident that we will be able to meet current and future cargo handling requirements for the Democratic Republic of the Congo in both the container and general cargo handling sectors.”

Based on demand, ICTSI also has the option to immediately implement a Phase Two development providing an additional 350m of quay line and supporting yard area.  “We are ready to undertake this” emphasized Madsen, “as it is just a matter of timing in line with demand.  We are very confident that we can build on the new efficiencies that Phase One will deliver including reduced vessel waiting time and reduced transit times for goods from point of origin to destination.”

The ICTSI DR Congo Terminal is a joint venture company between, ICTSI, The Ledya Group and SCTP SA.  ICTSI operates 29 terminals in 20 countries and is recognized to be a leading developer, manager and operator of gateway container terminals of different sizes and serving extended hinterlands including cross border.