The Mombasa port’s second container terminal project bid has so far attracted a lot of significance from top international firms that are interested in constructing the facility.
The tenders’ opening showed that the project attracted companies noted as among the top 10 world terminal operators, including Hong Kong-based Hutchison Ports Investments, China Merchants Holdings, APM Terminals and SSA Port Terminal Company. Others are Singapore’s based PSA International and DP World of Dubai. All are among 19 firms that will compete for the pre-qualification to operate the second container terminal at the port.
The development will be handled in phases, and the company that succeeds in winning the tender will have the privilege of working on phase 1 that will have capacity to handle 45,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), almost half the current port capacity.
The facility will have capacity to handle 1.2 million TEUs on completion of other two phases, expected to be in 2019.
“The 19 companies will be assessed, after which we will issue bid documents in two weeks. They will be expected to complete the tender documents within 45 days, and if all goes well, we anticipate the tender should be awarded by June this year,” said Ms Muthoni Gatere, KPA board and legal services manager.
The winner will have 25-year concession to operate the container terminal. The awarding process is expected to take a short period so as to give the winner ample time to prepare and plan before the commissioning, which is scheduled for March next year.
The winner of the port tender will recruit and train staff, buy equipment and install systems, among other logistics operations.
Comprising of Kilindini Harbour and Port Reitz on the Eastern side of the Mombasa Island, and the Old Port and Port Tudor north of the Mombasa Island, the port serves Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DRC and Southern Sudan.
