CMA CGM will invest $100 million to expand and modernise the Port of Beirut’s container terminal, more than doubling annual handling capacity from 1.2 million to 2.8 million TEUs.  The project will expand the terminal footprint from 45 to 80 hectares and is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete.  A foundation-stone ceremony for the project was held at the Port of Beirut in the presence of Nawaf Salam, Prime Minister of Lebanon, Fayez Rasamny, Minister of Public Works and Transport, Marwan Naffi, Chairman and General Manager of the Port of Beirut, and Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM Group.  The expansion comes as the terminal is operating close to its existing annual capacity. CMA CGM said the additional capacity is intended to accommodate growing cargo volumes and strengthen Beirut’s role as a gateway for Lebanese and regional trade.  The project builds on CMA Terminals’ 10-year concession to manage, operate and maintain the container terminal, which began in March 2022 following an international public tender.  The works will primarily focus on expanding container storage areas and upgrading terminal operations.  The project includes a new quay for feeder vessels equipped with two mobile cranes, intended to reducevessel and cargo waiting times. A new customs inspection area and two X-ray scanners will also be installed to support cargo security.Additional parking and staging areas, alongside a heavy-haul bridge, are planned to improve traffic flows within the terminal.  Theterminal will also receive new cargo-handling equipment, including hybrid and energy-efficient machinery, while an automated gate complex and revised container storage areas are intended to improve operational efficiency.  Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, said: “Since taking over the Beirut Container Terminal concession four years ago, we have given the terminal the means not only to recover but to thrive and reclaim its rightful place. Today, the launch of the expansion project marks a new milestone. This investment will position the Beirut Container Terminal as a regional hub in an ever-evolving global trade landscape. It reflects CMA CGM’s long-term commitment to Lebanon and our confidence in the country’s future.”  Marwan Naffi, Chairman and Director General of the Port of Beirut, stated: “The expansion of the container terminal is a strategic step, reflecting a clear decision to move the port into a new phase of growth and competitiveness, and to restore its role on the regional and international trade map.  He noted that increasing the terminal’s annual capacity to three million TEUs gives the Port of Beirut a genuine opportunity to reclaim its position as a major regional logistics hub at a time when trade routes are shifting, and ports are competing to strengthen their presence and attract more trade.  Naffi stressed that the expansion lays the foundation for a port better prepared for the future, capable of supporting the Lebanese economy and paving the way for Beirut to return to the heart of trade between East and West. (ICE BEIRUT)

Fonte notizia: Port Technology International