Sogester Luanda and Namibe infrastructure upgrades continue
During 2019, the Sogester Container Terminal, located in the Port of Luanda, Angola, invested around $25 million in terminal handling equipment, IT system upgrades and facilities. Last month saw the arrival of an LH800 mobile harbour crane, with a 20-row outreach.
This latest addition will enable the Sogester Container Terminal to efficiently handle the largest vessels that call the port with no operational restrictions. This will benefit all shipping lines calling the terminal – currently Maersk, CMA-CGM, Cosco and OOCL. Later in the year an additional two LH800 cranes will be commissioned, both with 23 rows outreach.
New handling equipment, including reach stackers, terminal trailers and empty handlers are already ensuring that customers can collect containers more quickly, with truck turnaround time currently at around 41 minutes. The import process at Sogester has also improved to speed up container collection. Import containers are currently held for around three days at the terminal, however the terminal is continuing to work closely with its customers to reduce this further.
The Sogester Container Terminal is the only terminal operator with permanent ISPS approval in Angola. With cargo security being a key priority for the terminal, improvements are being made continuously. Most recently this included the installation of CCTV in the yard and at the gate.
At Terminal Sogester Namibe, the third largest port in Angola and gateway to the South of Angola, extensive infrastructure upgrades were also carried out in 2019. Investments in the yard, quay and handling equipment provided improvements granite export facilities for customers. During 2020, a new 500m quay, improvements to yard structure and further equipment upgrades will be completed. Maersk, Naiber, MSC, Nile Dutch and CMA-CGM currently call at the port of Namibe.
In terms of IT solutions, in the near future, a priority gate will be available for customers that are able to handle data via Electronic Data Interchange. Sogester is a partner in TradeLens, a digital platform that empowers businesses and authorities along the supply chain with a single, secure source of shipping data, enabling more efficient global trade. The company also plans to offer online billing and payments, fully integrated with customs, for simpler and more efficient customer service.