The offshore contractor Jan De Nul operates from Belgium has started dredging activities at Ndayane’s new deep-water port in Senegal near the 50-kilometer distance from Dakar’s capital.
The essential infrastructure development targets to reduce congestion at Dakar Port because its operational capacity is reaching its limit while all nearby areas remain saturated.
DP World participated with Jan De Nul in developing the project which requires a five-kilometer access channel dredging operation along with an 89-hectare area designated for maritime services and container storage platforms.
The dredging activity requires the extraction of ten million cubic meters of soil which will be used to build the new terminal area through land reclamation.
The project presents several challenges due to its tough maritime conditions according to Dominique Bombaert who serves as Area Manager for Senegal at Jan De Nul.
He expressed his assessment that “This is no easy task because the channel’s seabed contains primarily hard rock structures and the Atlantic Ocean conditions can become challenging.” Jan De Nul invested their largest and most powerful cutter suction dredger Willem Van Rubroeck to operate effectively in demanding maritime conditions.
The Ndayane port project includes facilities that enable simultaneous docking of two largest container ships in the world which will advance Senegal’s position as a dominant trade center in West Africa.
An 840-meter quay together with five kilometers of access channel project constitutes the first part of the development. When finished the new port will generate the capacity to process 1.2 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per year but additional future expansion will boost this value.
The Ndayane port development project requires about two years and half to build. The development project will drive economic growth while creating jobs and establishing Senegal as a stronger international maritime trading power.
The port development creates a contemporary efficient complex to draw additional investments while improving regional trade operations.
Jan De Nul and DP World display their dedication to Senegal’s infrastructure development and economic growth through their joint venture. The ongoing development of this initiative will produce substantial transformations in Senegal’s maritime trade capacity together with its overall economic environment.
