APMT to give major tech boost to Africa terminal

APM Terminals (APMT) has announced that the West Africa Container Terminal (WACT) in the Port of Onne, Nigeria, will receive a major technological boost as it initiates its Phase 2 upgrade.

In a statement, APMT said the upgrade will include three additional mobile harbour cranes (MHCs), 20 rubber tyre gantry cranes (RTGs), three reach stackers and 13 terminal trucks and trailers and an empty container handler.

The upgrade will also include the installation of reefer racks with a 600-plug capacity, as well as a 13-hectare expansion and the current yard.

The upgrade is an expansion on APMT’s recent acquisitions for the WACT; in 2019, during the first phase, it spent $14 million on two MHCs, 14 specialised terminal trucks and two reach stackers.

According to APMT, this resulted in “high operational efficiency and set WACT apart from other ports in East Nigeria”.

In a statement, APMT said the WACT is “quickly earning a reputation as the gateway to Eastern Nigeria” and a strong alternative to ports in Lagos.

The upgrade was initiated to meet the growing trade demands of the regional economy.

Noah Sheriff, Commercial Manager, WACT, said the investment in Phase 2 “will ensure that we are well prepared to handle this additional business in the future”.

“Our vision is to make WACT the best performing container terminal in West Africa,” said WACT’s Managing Director Aamit Mirza.

“We believe this vision can be achieved through active collaboration with the Government to reduce the security challenges faced by vessels in our waters, and improved road connectivity”.

Chief Gabriel Okonkwo, Chairman of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN) commented that there had been “a substantial increase in import volume” which required a lot of equipment to ease cargo clearance”.

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