International Container Terminal Services Inc. business development director for Europe, the Middle East and Africa Jacob Gulmann provided insight into some of the key factors underpinning successful port projects during the 16th Intermodal Africa Conference in Mombasa, Kenya.
Drawing on experience both in and outside Africa, Gulmann discussed the importance of having a clear and unbeatable customer value proposition, flexible investment phasing in line with cargo volumes and timely hinterland connectivity.
Gulmann highlighted ICTSI’s commitment to developing, managing and operating ports in Kenya and East Africa in general. “We have experience in Africa, including some major success stories such as our Madagascar International Container Terminal, widely recognized as one of the best performing terminals in the Sub-Saharan African region,” he said.
“We are prepared to invest, the most recent example being at our Matadi Gateway Terminal on the Congo River in the D.R. Congo. This opened for business earlier this year, and here we have invested $100 million in infrastructure, equipment, IT and training,” he said.
“In East Africa,” he said, “we have an interest in taking over existing terminals or, as our Matadi project demonstrates, building, equipping and operating new terminals. Projects that we are now monitoring include: any proposed public private partnership for Mombasa’s newly opened second container terminal; the new container terminal project in Dar es Salaam and the new port projects of Lamu (Kenya) and Bagamoyo (Tanzania).”
ICTSI, together with a large number of other conference delegates, also participated in the pre-conference visit to Mombasa’s new Kipevu Container Terminal.
“It is a fine facility and one that places the port of Mombasa in a very strong position to build, national, transit and transhipment cargo. Also the fact that it is commencing operation at a time when the first phase of the new standard gauge railway will soon be open for business is a major plus factor. It will undoubtedly strengthen the case for the use of the Northern Corridor, connecting Mombasa with Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and the D.R. Congo,” Gulmann said.
ICTSI was additionally represented in the exhibition for the 16th Intermodal Africa and over the course of the two-day event hosted a wide range of visitors at its stand including government dignitaries and senior personnel from companies active throughout the logistics chain.
ICTSI operates 30 terminals in 20 countries and is recognized to be a leading developer, manager and operator of gateway container terminals of different sizes and serving extended hinterlands including cross border.
