The new terminal has increased the port’s capacity, making it one of the five biggest in Africa
The quantum of goods handled by the Port of Mombasa has increased from 13.28 million tonnes in 2005 to 26.73 million tonnes last year, denoting over 100 per cent growth. Transit cargo to the port’s hinterland, which consists of Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi, Somalia, northern Tanzania and eastern parts of DR Congo, has also been going up at an annual rate of 8.2 per cent over the same period.
This growth has put the government under immense pressure to not only expand the port, but also improve its operational efficiency. The government’s commitment in this endeavour has fortified the port’s position as a port of choice for the East and Central Africa region and as a leading seaport on Africa’s eastern seaboard.
Port dwell time, which describes the time that lapses from the time cargo arrives at the port to the time it leaves, has been reduced from 4.9 days in 2013 to 3.9 days in 2014, with an average of 3.4 days attained between January 2015 and March 2016. This efficiency is attributed to the measures that have been put in place by the Kenya Ports Authority to reduce dwell time, including the streamlining of container evacuation.
However, beyond working on efficiency and with the continuous growth in the cargo handled, the port can only improve and uphold acceptable levels of performance through sustained investment in capacity. The widening of its channel in April 2012 means the port can now handle larger vessels. The latest to call was the MV Clemens Schulte, carrying a draft of 13.9 metres, an overall length of 255 metres and a capacity of 6,500 TEUs (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit, used to measure a ship’s cargo carrying capacity). The construction of Berth 19, commissioned in April 2013, created an additional capacity of 250,000 TEUs. With a quay length of 840 metres, the container terminal can now comfortably take in three of the larger post-Panamax vessels at a go.
The biggest game changer in terms of capacity growth is the Second Container Terminal. Started in 2011, Phase I of the project is now complete and has already been handed to KPA by the contractor. The terminal, which started operations on April 25, 2016, brings some 550,000 TEUs into play, increasing the port’s overall capacity to 1.65 million TEUs and making it one of the five biggest ports in Africa.
The second and third phases are expected to commence soon, with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and KPA recently signing Sh27 billion funding for the second phase. This phase, which is expected to be completed in the next three years, will add another capacity of 1.1 million TEUs. Upon full completion of phase II and phase III, the total quay length added will be 900 metres, bringing the total length of the container terminals to 1,740 metres and throughput of 2.75 million TEUs.
Further, the acquisition of modern cargo and ship handling equipment has improved efficiency at the port.
Other capacity enhancement projects include the development of a crude oil handling capacity, construction of a modern cruise terminal and rehabilitation of the port’s quay. The development of small ports at Shimoni, Vanga, Funzi, Malindi and Kiunga will boost local economies and enable them to increase trade and fishing opportunities.