Mauritius Container Terminal is now a leading container port in the region, says PM

The Mauritius Container Terminal (MCT) is now a leading container port in the region with the completion of the extension of the quay to a length of 800 metres. This project, to the tune of Rs 6.5 billion, is in line with Government’s vision to make the Port Louis Harbour the preferred maritime gateway in the Indian Ocean.

This statement was made by the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, yesterday at the inauguration of the new Quay at the Port Louis Harbour, Terminal III, Mer Rouge.

According to the Prime Minister, the extension of the quay project is yet another important milestone in the development of Port Louis Harbour. This project will transform the harbour, the principal gateway of the country handling about 99.5% of the total volume of external trade representing 7.3 million tons of cargo annually, into a major regional logistics and maritime hub offering efficient, competitive and integrated services to the business, shipping and maritime community.

With regards to the quay extension project, Mr Jugnauth stated that it fits the vision of the Government to transform the harbour into a transhipment hub as outlined in the new Port Master Plan elaborated by the Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA). This he added, is a giant leap ahead to attract major players of the shipping community and capture a bigger regional container transhipment share of the market.

The MCT project, he stated, coupled with the forthcoming development of the Riche Terre Special Economic Zone will contribute immensely to the economic development of the country in bringing additional businesses and creating new segments in the manufacturing industry.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister announced another important development project in the port area, namely the construction of an Island Container Terminal opposite the MCT. This facility, he said, will undoubtedly be the most important container port in the region with a capacity of over 1.5 million TEUs. In this respect, the MPA is undertaking a Techno Economic Feasibility study for the Island Container Terminal project which is being financed through a grant from the African Development Bank and is expected to start next month, Mr Jugnauth added.

For his part the Chairman of MPA, Mr Ramalingum Maistry, spoke of MPA’s commitment to follow the road map traced by Government to attain its objectives and to bringing vital contribution to the country sustainable economic development.

Quay Extension Project

The project was partly financed by the Agence Française de Dévelopment to the tune of Rs 1.4 billion, through a grant of 3.0 million Euros from the European Union Infrastructure Trust Fund and the remaining Rs 5.0 billion was injected by the MPA. It comprised the extension of the existing quay to accommodate two large container vessels of about 360 metres each, thus positioning Port Louis Harbour as the deepest port in the South West Indian Ocean. Construction works started in 2015 and the project comprised three components namely: extension of the MCT quay by 240 metres; expansion of the container stacking yard by some 7.5 hectares; and the strengthening of the existing 560 metres quay.