Port of Mombasa joins top world ranked ports

Last Updated 13 years ago by Kenya Engineer

Recent Capacity expansion and the handling of increased traffic volumes have propelled the port of Mombasa to the ranks of top world container ports.Having handled 903,000 TEUs in 2012 coupled with the prediction to break 1 Million TEUs mark this year, the port of Mombasa has been ranked 117th out of the leading 120 container world ports and 5th in Africa.

According to the current (July /August) issue of Container Management, a reputable international shipping   magazine,  front runners  on the Africa front are  Port Said of Egypt at 39th position, Port of Durban in South Africa at 51, Port of Tanger Med in Morocco at 73 and port of Alexandria in Egypt at 84.

The magazine’s detailed chronology of the World Top Container Ports 2013 has attributed the impressive port performance to various efficiency interventions instituted by the management. Major attribute is the dredging of the main entrance channel to minus 15m and the widening of the turning basin to 500 meters which has enabled larger vessels to call at the port.

Also attributed to the success of the port of Mombasa is the newly completed 240m long berth 19. Deeper and longer, the new berth has an additional stacking yard of 15 acres, increasing the port’s capacity by 250,000 TEU annually. The berth was commissioned by His Excellency, Hon, Yoweri Museveni, and President of the Republic of Uganda which is also the biggest port user among the landlocked countries in the region. He was flanked by His Excellency Hon.Uhuru Kenyatta and His. Excellency Hon.Paul Kagame.

The ongoing construction of the 1.2 M capacity second container has also been cited as one of the attributes that influenced the ranking of the port. The first phase involves construction of initial three berths scheduled for completion in 2016.The new berths will have an additional capacity of 450,000 TEUs, with two further expansion phases running through to 2020.

The Shipping Magazine also reported on the port’s investment in new and modern cargo handling equipment which has greatly improved efficiency. The equipment include ship to shore gantry cranes terminal tractors and reach stackers. With the developments and progressive developments it is envisaged that, the port of Mombasa will reach greater heights.

Source:Kenya Ports Authority (KPA)