Tanzania has begun the construction of what it says will be the largest port in East Africa at a cost of about $11bn. Backed by China Merchants Holdings International and Oman’s State Government Reserve Fund, the project is expected to be a game changer in Tanzania’s quest to industrialise.
President Jakaya Kikwete said the construction of the Bagamoyo port and a special economic zone will enable handling of 20 million containers annually. It will take two years to complete, and includes building rail and road links.
The construction of the Bagamoyo port in Tanzania will involve several phases. The first phase will be completed in three years. Additionally, a 34-km road joining Bagamoyo and Mlandizi and 65 km of railway connecting the port to Tanzania’s Central Line and Tanzania-Zambia railway will be constructed.
Tanzania is East Africa’s second-biggest economy after Kenya, and cargo volumes at the existing Dar es Salaam port are expected to rise as much as 25% this year to 18 million tonnes.
In a move that is set to change ports scene in East Africa, Kenya’s Mombasa port is currently being upgraded and it is also constructing a huge port at Lamu, including an oil refinery near its border with Somalia.
