Luanda takes containers on board

News 14 Apr 2014 by WCN Editorial

Figures on the volume of cargo handled at the Port of Luanda in 2013 reveal a big switch from non-containerised to containerised cargo

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The volume of non-containerised cargo in Luanda, Angola's main sea port, was 16% lower than in 2012, while the volume of containerised freight jumped 23% to more than11 Mt, giving a 10% total increase. The port handled just short of 913,000 TEU last year.

Scope for continued strong growth is limited because of the lack of spare capacity, but a new container terminal is to be developed at Barra do Dande in Bengo province, 50 kms north of the existing facility. The existing port has a draught of 9.5m, but it is understood that the new deep water port will allow access for much larger vessels. In the meantime, more use is being made of the inland container terminal in Luanda, which has annual handling capacity of 200,000 TEU.

It will be interesting to see how the development of the new port affects Luanda’s growing use of the new port of Ngqura in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. The Angolan port is Ngqura’s most important transhipment destination, following the conclusion of a partnership agreement between the two ports last year.

According to national port company Angop, Luanda handles 70% of all Angolan cargo. The terminal is operated by Sociedade Gestora de Terminais, which is owed by APM Terminals and Gestão de Fundos.