The Douala Ports Authority has announced that it will begin expansion of the facility in the year 2030. It will also include renewal and renovation of the port’s facilities.
With an area of 400 hectares and an annual traffic capacity of 15 million tonnes of goods, the Autonomous Port of Douala-Bonabéri (PAD) is already reduced in capacity. To find space, the port administration plans to expand it in 2030 to the island of Manoka, in the district of Douala 6.An island located half an hour off the economic capital.
This measure is part of the implementation of its master plan by 2050 which entails a vast project to renew and rehabilitate the infrastructures of the port. According to the General Secretary of Port Synthese ( a platform involving actors of the PAD chain) “the draft at the PAD level is weak because of its silting up. However, Manoka is at sea and offers a better draft so that the boats can dock easily, “Lin Onana Ndo explains.
These investments will make it possible to transform the port into a “center of excellence in the heart of the Gulf of Guinea”, through the multiplication of its reception capacities.
With 95% of national trade (imports and exports), the PAD is the leader in the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC). It also serves the hinterland states of Chad and the Central African Republic. Its yearly traffic capacity is estimated at 15 million tons and it has 26 berths spanning over 5.5 km. The port is 400 ha wide and contains 7 specialized terminals, 15 warehouses, 65 ha of open land, 25 km of railways and 20 km of asphalt roads. At the moment, the amount needed for the implementation of the project is not yet known, neither are the partners and donors.