AGL signs concession contract for multipurpose and container terminal at Port of Lobito, Angola
On Monday December 11, 2023, Olivier De Noray, Managing Director of AGL Ports and Terminals, and Celso Rosas, President of the Port of Lobito, signed the concession contract for the multipurpose terminal (including container activity) at the Port of Lobito. The signing took place in the presence of Joao Fernandes, Chairman of the Commission, Pedro Maza, Legal Director of the Angolan Ministry of Transport, and Lidia Amaro, Vice-Governor of Benguela Province. The signing follows the international invitation to tender which led, last October, to the decision to award the Lobito port terminals to AGL (Africa Global Logistics).
As part of this partnership, AGL will invest nearly 100 million euros to make the port of Lobito a modern, efficient and competitive port platform, capable of meeting the expectations of national and international customers, and contributing to the growth and diversification of the Angolan economy.
“AGL’S INDUSTRIAL PROJECT, WITH THE SUPPORT OF MSC, THE WORLD’S LEADING SHIPPING COMPANY, WILL IMPROVE THE CONNECTIVITY OF THE LOBITO PORT HUB. IT WILL STIMULATE TRADE IN THE REGION AND SUPPORT INDUSTRIALIZATION EFFORTS. THE PORT OF LOBITO WILL ALSO BE A PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS, CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOPS AND TERTIARY SERVICES COMPANIES,” says OIivier De Noray, General Manager of AGL Ports and Terminals.
With a quay depth of 14m and direct access to the sea, the Port of Lobito will enable Angola to welcome large-capacity vessels. AGL will manage the multi-purpose terminal, including container activity, which boasts 1,200 m of quay, a storage area with a capacity of 12,000 twenty-foot equivalent containers (TEU) and handling equipment.
As Angola’s second largest port, the Port of Lobito is designed to meet the needs of 35 million Angolans and the populations of neighboring countries. The Port of Lobito is positioned to play a strategic role in the global energy transition, as the first Atlantic gateway to the Copperbelt region. This port infrastructure will play a key role in the flow of strategic ores (copper, cobalt) to international markets. To this end, it will benefit from the rail rehabilitation and construction projects currently underway to link the DRC and Zambia with Angola.
As part of the new concession, which is due to go into service at the end of the 1st quarter of 2024, AGL will take over the staff of the port authority Empresa Portuária do Lobito EP. The company will implement an extensive skills development plan for its staff and the ecosystem of local subcontractors, to enable the Port of Lobito to offer services up to international standards.
