The new terminal will be a transshipment hub for the Eastern Mediterranean, especially for the German liner for the next 30 years

In Cairo, Egypt, the final signatures were affixed to the concession contract for the construction and management of a new maxi-terminal container in the port of Damietta which will see the Eurokai group as protagonists, through the subsidiaries Eurogate and Contship Italia, together with the German shipping carrier Hapag Lloyd, and other smaller partners.

To this end, a joint venture was specifically set up for the development and management of the new ‘Terminal 2’ of the airport called Damietta Alliance Container Terminal S.A.E. for 30 years. composed of the following companies: Hapag-Lloyd Damietta GmbH (39%), Eurogate Damietta GmbH (29.5%), Contship Damietta Srl (29.5%), Middle East Logistics & Consultants Group (1%) and Ship & C.R.E.W. Egypt S.A.E. (1%).

This new terminal is expected to enter service in 2024 and will have an annual port handling capacity at a full capacity of 3.3 million TEU. It was designed to specifically (but not only) serve Hapag Lloyd by serving as a container transshipment hub for the Eastern Mediterranean.

The same function, but for the western part of the Mediterranean, is carried out by the container terminal of Tanger Med where Eurogate, Contship, and Hapag Lloyd are partners with similar shares in a new infrastructure recently inaugurated.

This new investment program in the container transshipment sector between German market players started in Africa after the decision first of Hapag Lloyd (as customer shipowner) and then of Contship Italia (as concessionaire terminal operator) to give up the Cagliari terminal (Cagliari International Container Terminal).

“With this new terminal, Hapag-Lloyd will significantly improve its transshipment operations in the Eastern Mediterranean and at the same time have a private access channel to local Egyptian trade,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of the company. navigation based in Hamburg.

Thomas H. Eckelmann, president of Eurogate, in turn, underlined that “when Terminal 2 will be operational in 2024, Hapag-Lloyd and its partners will have the opportunity to use the latest generation terminals with high capacity, high productivity, and an articulated network. of feeder services “.

Cecilia Eckelmann-Battistello, president of Contship Italia, said she was “privileged and extremely grateful for the support received from the Egyptian government.

The concession is to operate the infrastructure for 30 years, a term that allows us a long-term perspective in the port of Damietta. “