The government of Mauritania is set to launch a tender for the development of a deepwater port in the country’s second-largest city, Nouadhibou, by the end of 2022.
Following the cancellation of previous negotiations for the development with China Harbour Engineering Company in 2019, the Mauritanian government, through agency Agence pour la Promotion des Investissements en Mauritanie (APIM), is set to prioritize the construction of the deepwater port of Nouadhibou to boost trading for economic and GDP growth.
With new economic opportunities rising for Mauritania at the back of recent large-scale gas discoveries including the Grande Tortue Ahmeyim and the BirAllah ultra-deepwater conventional projects, as well as increased focus on exploration and monetization of oil, iron ore, uranium, gold, copper, gypsum, and phosphate rock, the deepwater port provides an opportunity for improved trading with international markets such as Europe and America.
With APIM already initiating talks with potential investors for financing of the $323 million project during meetings held in Paris and Abidjan, the government is now awaiting the release of two reports to analyze the technical and financial feasibility of the project to commence with the launch of the tender.
The development of the multipurpose terminal is expected to be undertaken under a public-private partnerships model. Once complete, the port will be able to receive vessels with a maximum draught of 12 to 13.25 meters and process traffic of around 325,000 containers by 2035.
