Mauritius Ports Authority is planning to build new terminal

The Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) is planning to build an Island Terminal in three phases over a 60-hectare plot of land off Mer Rouge to accommodate two million containers. The project will require an investment of about Rs 20 billion.

The MPA will launch a tender for the project by next year as it is imperative for the Mauritius Container Terminal to obtain a strategic partner to implement the project.

There are several advantages to such a partnership, including reducing operating costs, less congestion in the port, shared investment as well as sharing of technology, port equipment and management.

According to a recent study, the MPA will have to make provision for around Rs 7 billion to protect the Island Terminal from sea waves.

The main objective of this ambitious project is to make Port Louis a more competitive and successful port in the Indian Ocean region, and to attract new operators.

With the commissioning of the Island Terminal, Port Louis will then be able to accommodate two million containers. Through this project, the Mauritius Container Terminal will be able to handle some 750,000 containers as compared to about 550,000 containers presently.

In 2010, some 442,654 containers passed through the country, which represents an eight per cent increase. Containers transiting Mauritius for shipping to other countries stood at 219,984 in 201, representing a 3 per cent increase.