The President of the Senegalese Republic, Macky Sall, proceeded, Monday, to the laying of the first stone of the multifunctional port of Ndayane (west), intended to decongest that of Dakar.
The project, located 70 km south of Dakar, will be carried out with funding from the Emirati group “Dubai Port World” and the State of Senegal.
The construction work of this port infrastructure covering an area of 1,200 hectares will take place in two phases, for an investment of around 3,000 billion CFA francs.
The launching ceremony of the work of this project took place in the presence of the director general of the Autonomous Port of Dakar, Ababacar Sédikh Bèye, the president and director general of the Emirati group “Dubai Port World”, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, the mayors of communes of Ndayane, a neighboring locality of Popenguine located in the region of Thiès, as well as a strong Malian delegation.
“With this port, we will take up three challenges”, including that of “decongesting the port of Dakar and its surroundings”. It will also serve to “give a boost” to the transport of goods, “which continues to argue on a global scale,” said President Macky Sall.
The port of Dakar captures 95% of Senegal’s trade, but also 80% of hydrocarbons and 65% of other traffic from Mali, said Macky Sall, quoted in the press kit, adding that the future port of Ndayane “will help to develop logistics and maritime freight in Senegal ”.
The State of Senegal is a shareholder in the company responsible for managing the port’s container terminal. “We are 40% shareholders, and DP World 60%,” he said.
At least 25,000 jobs will be created in this area, initially. On the two phases, it is envisaged the creation of 100,000 to 250,000 long-term jobs, “ indicates the press kit of the project.
The first part of the work, scheduled for the first quarter of 2022, will extend over 300 hectares, an area taking into account the part reserved for the container terminal, according to the same document.
The first phase, costing 448 billion CFA francs, will be carried out by the same company, DP World. In addition to the 300 hectare container terminal, it will include a 5 km sea channel and 18 m deep construction sized to accommodate post-Panamax and 336 m long ships.
The second phase of the works will cost nearly 169 billion CFA francs. It includes a second wharf of 410 m and additional dredging of the marine channel, according to the same source.
The commissioning of this infrastructure will make it possible to process ships 400 m long, adds the document, noting that with its delivery, new road and rail links will link the port of Dakar to the regional transport network.
Senegal is counting on this multifunctional port to equip itself with a port and logistics platform to meet the new requirements of maritime transport.
Remember that Senegal had signed, on December 23, 2020, an agreement with the Emirati subsidiary DP World, paving the way for the construction of this Port of Ndayane.
The Emirati group has already been present in Senegal since 2008 as a concessionaire of the container terminal of the Autonomous Port of Dakar.