Walvis Bay container terminal to boost regional integration

THE new Walvis Bay container terminal will significantly boost the African Development Bank’;s work in regional integration and improving the lives of Africans, the continental bank says.

In a report published on its website last Friday, the bank said poverty alleviation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region would improve due to better port efficiency and larger volumes of cargo for more trade, which would create more job opportunities and capacity development.

“This will lead to inclusive growth and economic transformation,” it said, noting that the bank is aligned with the Namibian government’;s ambition to increase the capacity and efficiency of the Walvis Bay port to the growing freight demand in the region.

The new port will serve as the logistical backbone for several industries in the region, and is expected to lead to more and sustained trade between SADC and the rest of the world.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) gave Namibia a loan of N$2,98 million in 2013 for the container terminal, which is expected to increase the container handling capacity from the current 355 000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) to up to 1 005 000 TEUs.

Namport’;s executive for port authority and project manager of the new container terminal, Elzevir Gelderbloem, told Nampa upon enquiry on Tuesday that the construction progress of the new terminal stood at 88% completion.

The exact date for completion has, however, not been confirmed, but major works are expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2019, with commissioning soon afterwards, he said.

The construction of the terminal began in May 2014 with major works, including the commissioning of four new ship-to-shore container cranes.

The new port will be connected to the existing port’;s road and rail networks as well as communications systems. – Nampa