DP World selects Portuguese firm for DR Congo port construction project

UAE port operator DP World has selected Portuguese construction company Mota-Engil to lead the development of Banana Port in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Located near the mouth of the Congo River in Kongo Central province along the Atlantic coast, Banana Port serves as the DR Congo's single maritime gateway for containerised cargo.

The port will be developed in phases with the first phase designed to accommodate some of the world's largest container vessels and featuring a 600-metre quay, an 18-metre draught, and 30 hectares of storage area. DP World expects the first phase will increase the port's handling capacity to 450,000 TEUs per year.

The second phase will extend the quay wall by over two kilometres.

The port presently consists of a 75-metre wharf, a few small jetties, and two cargo handling cranes.

The port is a DP World investment with the participation of British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor.