DP World is expanding the Port of Berbera in Somaliland with a terminal to raise capacity to handle more than 500,000 TEU of containers per year
By Martyn Wingrove
This first phase of development is scheduled to be completed by Q1 2021. Further phases could follow to raise container capacity further.
Developments include extending the existing quaysides with a 400-m quay for berthing ultra large container ships.
This project will create a logistics gateway into the centre of eastern Africa and a hub for container traffic on the trade routes between Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
“The phase 1 expansion project will increase the port’s capacity and further strengthen Berbera Port as a major regional trade port servicing the Horn of Africa,” said DP World Berbera chief executive Supachai Wattanaveerachai.
In response to rising towage requirements, DP World needed a new tugboat for assisting container ships into their berths. Its marine services arm P&O Maritime Logistics (P&OML) ordered a new tug from Turkey-headquartered Sanmar Shipyards.
This tug, M Jeex, was delivered this month to begin ship handling at Berbera Port. It is a Dogancay-series tugboat with 45 tonnes of bollard pull and a top speed of 12 knots designed for ship docking services and emergency deepsea towage in coastal waters.
Somaliland Port Authority general manager Hassan Abdillahi said M Jeex is a sister tug of Egal, which DP World and P&OML acquired from Sanmar in July 2018.
P&OML UAE Ports general manager Shaun Deshommes said the acceptance and delivery of the M Jeex was at Sanmar’s Altinova Shipyard in August.
M Jeex is powered by a pair of Caterpillar 3212B diesel engines, each rated at 1,230 kW at 1,800 rpm, driving two Wärtsilä Kaplan type 4-blade and fixed-pitched propellers in kort nozzles through twin Reintjes WAF665 gearboxes.
Also in the engineroom are two Perkins-Sabre 4.4TWGM generators which each produce 60 kW or auxiliary power at 380 V and 50 Hz.
Sanmar sales director Gary Dockerty said Dogancay-class tugs are “exemplary workhorses for the right operational theatre”.
Sanmar has constructed 26 of this design so far with tugs operating in Turkey, France, Hong Kong, Martinique, Mexico, Pakistan, UAE and the UK.
