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WINDHOEK. – Namibia’s Walvis Bay will begin an upgrade early next year to transform its port into a regional hub that can handle one million containers a year, a top official said yesterday.
Situated on the southwestern coast of Africa, with access to key shipping routes, Namibia’s largest commercial port currently handles a modest 350 000 containers a year.
But according to Namibian Port Authority CEO Bisey Uirab nearly US$300 million upgrade will triple capacity and open a gateway for neighbouring landlocked Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe to export minerals. The expansion is expect to start in February 2014 will be largely funded by the African Development Bank.
In a statement, AfDB regional director Ebrima Faal said “this project is important for Namibia and for the Southern African Development Community region”.
Namibia and its neighbours are major producers of minerals. The state-backed China Harbour Engineering has been granted the contract to undertake the upgrade. Walvis Bay became part of Namibian territory in 1994, four years after the end of colonial rule by South Africa. – AFP.
Online Reporter