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PORT NEWS PORT NEWS
Lamu Port
Lamu port was operatioalised on May 2021 Mombasa Port
and since then it has been struggling to Mombasa and Dar es Salaam ports have
attract clients with only 36 vessels with recently intensified competition of the
37,576 metric tonnes of cargo handled in regional cargo as Kenya banks on its
2023.
efficiency to increase its clients while
In 2022, the port only received four vessels As a result of delays along the Northern
with a throughput of 6,539 metric tonnes Corridor, in 2022, cargo handled through
compared to 2021 when it had 34,761 the port of Mombasa shrank by 1.9 per
metric tonnes of cargo with only 12 vessels cent to 33.9 million metric tonnes, from
calling at the port.
34.6 million tonnes in 2021, despite
Lamu port with three of the expected 32 container traffic increasing marginally to
deep sea berths has created another avenue 1.45 million twenty feet equivalent units
for cargo entry and departure for three (TEUs).
Eastern African nations that also include Capt. Ruto in March this year announced
South Sudan and Ethiopia.
the beginning of dredging of the Mombasa
Fully funded by the Kenyan Government at port channel to accommodate bigger
a cost of $480 million is about -18 meters vessels after recording a significant increase
deep natural berth compared to -15 meters of transit cargo last year.
in Mombasa and 1.2 km long with a width Capt Ruto also said the authority is
of 750 metres positioning it to handle working with other stakeholders to provide
vessels carrying between 6,000 and 13,000 end-to-end logistics services for transit
(Twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEUs) market customers from Port of Mombasa
compared to Mombasa's 6,000.
to the destination; a move that will improve
“Lamu port is having far better maritime efficiency and reduce cost of doing
access and connectivity than Mombasa port business.
due to its deep-berths and geographic “To ensure port facilities are more
location, the competition between the competitive and efficient for shipping lines,
ports is considered minimal as they will be MOMBASA PORT importers and exporters, KPA will further
serving different transport corridors. Lamu enhance the capacity of Port of Mombasa
port will primarily serve northern Kenya, to attract larger vessels, by dredging the
South Sudan and Ethiopia while Mombasa berths to -15 at the quayside and -16 at the
port will focus more on the northern midstream channel,” said the MD.
corridor linking landlocked Uganda, DRC
and Rwanda hence they are complementing Mombasa port has since improved on
not competing,” said Kenya Ports Authority efficiency banking on inefficiencies of the
(KPA) managing director Capt. William regional ports to increase its throughput
Ruto. from 1,449,863 teus in 2022 to 1,623,080
teus in 2023.
Recently, the port got a boost after Kenya
and Ethiopia agreed to fight insecurity, Mombasa port has benefited from the
review tariffs and fast-track completion of ongoing inefficiency at the South African
infrastructure projects to facilitate seamless ports with two largest shipping lines
flow of cargo from Lamu to Ethiopia. suspended their direct call to Durban port
over congestion.
The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) will
rework port tariffs as Ethiopia puts in place After being hit with a series of port
plans to start using the port. LAMU PORT congestion surcharges last month, CMA
CGM and Maersk have decided to remove
The tariffs are one of the conditions Addis Durban from the port rotation of their
asked to be considered after Kenya assured joint Middle East-West Africa
them of security on the Lamu Port, South Midas1/Mesawa service as Mombasa port
Sudan Ethiopia transport (Lapsset) corridor.
registers 25 containerized ships scheduled
to make a call in the next 12 days.
CMA CGM and Maersk in a notice to its
customers said the decision was taken due
to heavy congestion in South Africa and will
be effective until, at least, the end of
January.
Additionally, Port Elizabeth and Port
Reunion will be called alternatingly by the
companies' joint Midas2/Protea service.
The reduced service also comes on top of
mounting costs. This month, MSC
announced a $210 per twenty-foot
equivalent unit (teu) port congestion
surcharge (PCS) for all South African ports
beginning on 3 December, while Hapag-
Lloyd will introduce a similar, $200, PCS on
8 December.
With the suspension of Durban and
increased congestion in other South African
ports, Mombasa and Dar es Salaam port
have registered increased vessels scheduled
to dock in the next 15 days.
LAMU PORT MOMBASA PORT
16 AFRICAN SHIPPING REVIEW April-June 2024 AFRICAN SHIPPING REVIEW April-June 2024 17
