The UAE’s second-biggest port operator, Abu Dhabi Ports is reportedly planning to bolster flagship Khalifa port’s annual container capacity by 50 per cent to 7.5 million twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) by the end of 2020, as the oil-rich capital seeks to attract more cargo.
According to a statement issued by Abu Dhabi ports, the current capacity is 5 million TEUs, with 2.5 million at Abu Dhabi Terminals, a unit of Abu Dhabi Ports, and the other 2.5 million at the CSP Terminal, which is owned by China’s COSCO SHIPPING Ports. Abu Dhabi Terminals will further expand its part to five million TEUs.
“The Khalifa port expansion, announced in December 2019, aims to attract new business and significantly boost capacity in line with evolving customer expectations, and has progressed significantly since its inception despite the challenging economic conditions presented by the global pandemic,” said the statement.
“Upon completion, the project is expected to substantially increase handling volumes by providing additional deep-water access and enhanced infrastructure,” the statement added.
While the CSP Terminal started business operations in 2019 and has an annual capacity of 2.5 million TEUs.
“Khalifa could reach capacity of 9 million TEUs in five years, from expansions at ADT. Khalifa port also has the capacity to handle 12 million mt/year of general cargo,” as mentioned in the statement.
Abu Dhabi Ports owns and manages a total of 11 ports and terminals in the UAE, including a facility in the eastern emirate of Fujairah, and in Guinea, where the UAE’s Emirates Global Aluminum has a bauxite mine and associated export infrastructure.
