AD Ports Group awarded contracts worth about AED735 million, or nearly $200 million, for the construction and equipment of a new container terminal in Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo.
The project covers the East New Mole terminal, which will be operated under the Noatum Ports brand through a concession granted by the Congolese government. Two maritime and land infrastructure contracts worth about AED551 million, or $150 million, were awarded to a joint venture formed by Mar Contracting SARLU and MBTP SA, 2 Congolese companies.
A third contract worth AED184 million, or about $50 million, was awarded to Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. for the supply of 3 ship-to-shore cranes and 9 rubber tyred gantry cranes. The cranes will handle container loading, unloading and yard movements.
The project is being led by Noatum Ports Congo Pointe-Noire, a joint venture created by AD Ports Group and CMA Terminals, a unit of French shipping group CMA CGM. The terminal will operate under a 30-year concession, with an option to extend for another 20 years. The first phase will include a 420-meter quay, a 16-meter draft and a 100,000-square-meter logistics platform.
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Commercial commissioning is expected in the fourth quarter of 2028 after about 2 years of work. AD Ports said the project could create about 800 construction jobs, 400 direct jobs once operational and as many as 7,000 indirect jobs linked to activity around the terminal.
Key Takeaways
The Pointe-Noire project shows how global port operators are moving to secure control of African trade corridors. For Congo, the terminal could increase container capacity, reduce congestion and improve links between shipping lines, inland logistics and regional trade routes. The role of AD Ports, CMA CGM and ZPMC also shows how port projects now combine capital, shipping relationships and equipment supply chains. The 16-meter draft matters because it can allow the terminal to receive larger vessels, which can lower unit shipping costs if volumes are high enough. The jobs impact could be large, but the main economic value will depend on throughput, customs speed, road and rail links, and the ability to serve cargo beyond Pointe-Noire. The project also strengthens competition among Central African ports as governments seek to attract trade, logistics parks and industrial activity. For investors, the key question is whether the concession can turn infrastructure spending into steady cargo volumes over the 30-year operating period.
