May 25 - Djibouti has officially opened the Doraleh Multipurpose Port (DMP), marking the completion of the USD590 million project.
The project, which was launched in 2015, was jointly financed by The Ports and Free Zones Authority of Djibouti (DPFZA), and China Merchant Holding (CMHC), while the state-of-the-art equipment was manufactured by the Chinese firm ZPMC.
DMP is the first of four new ports to be developed in Djibouti as part of a series of mega-projects that will include a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant and two airports, as well as a 752 km railway line linking the capital of Ethiopia to the Port of Djibouti.
At the official opening of the multipurpose port, Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti, said that the port will increase the east African country's capacity and support the enlargement and diversification of the ports.
DMP features 690 hectares (1,705 acres) of total land area; 15 berths, which measure 1,200 m in length and have a water depth of 16-18 m; a 35,000 sq m storage facility; and can accommodate vessels greater than 100,000 dwt.
30,000 vessels transit through the port each year, with products from Asia accounting for 59 percent of the total, Europe 21 percent, and Africa 16 percent, says the port.
