Jan De Nul at the Helm of the Future Deep-Water Port of Ndayane

The Port of Dakar is approaching its maximum capacity, and the surrounding area is fully saturated. To address this challenge, DP World, the current operator of Dakar’s container terminal, is developing a new port at Ndayane, located 50 km south of the capital.

Jan De Nul is responsible for dredging a five-kilometer access channel, involving the excavation of ten million cubic meters of soil, and creating a 89-hectare area of reclaimed land to serve as a terminal for container storage and maritime services. In total, the works are expected to take two and a half years to complete.

“This is no easy task, as the seabed in the channel consists mainly of hard rock and the conditions in the Atlantic Ocean can be rough. You need a powerful dredger that is also large enough to continue working in challenging wave conditions. That is why we deploy our largest and most powerful cutter suction dredger, the Willem Van Rubroeck, to get the job done.” — Dominique Bombaert, Area Manager for Senegal at Jan De Nul

Once completed, the port of Ndayane will significantly increase Senegal’s container handling capacity and will be able to accommodate two of the world’s largest container ships simultaneously, making it one of the largest ports in West Africa. It will help ease congestion at the Port of Dakar and become a driver of economic growth and job creation for Senegal.