Months before launching a second facility, Tanger Med 1 named Africa's largest container port

Morocco’s global logistics gateway Tanger Med 1 has been ranked 1st in Africa as the leading container port by the «World Top Container Port», says Tanger Med Port Authority in a press release sent to Yabiladi on Tuesday.

The ranking published by the «Container Management» magazine, positions the Tangier’s facility as 45th in the world, allowing the port to better its last year performance by six additional places.

In Africa, Tanger Med 1, which has a handling capacity of 3 million TFU containers, was ranked ahead of Egypt's Port Said (52nd), and South Africa’s Durban (65th). In 2017, the Moroccan port handled 3,312,409 TEU containers, which represents 11% more than its nominal capacity, said the same communiqué.

In July 2002, King Mohammed VI announced the establishment of the port located on the Strait of Gibraltar. The Sovereign inaugurated the Tanger Med five years later.

Tanger Med 2

According to the Tanger Med Port Authority, the facility’s performance has been reached through the «excellent productivity of the APMT, Eurogate and Boluda operators, the continued trust of the main shipping lines (Maersk Line, Hapag-Lloyd, CMA CGM, Arkas, Hamburg Sud...), the involvement of the Harbor Master's and Port Pilot's staff to optimize stopovers, the involvement of the administrations and authorities concerned, and the digitalization initiated by Tanger Med particularly for the reservation of slots designed to optimize ships calls».

The biggest strategic port in Africa is soon going to have a second facility, announces the same source. The section, dubbed Tanger Med 2 will be fully operational by 2019, giving the port an «additional capacity of 6 million TEU containers», and bringing Tanger Med a total «handling capacity of 9 million TEU containers».

The objective is to «allow Tanger Med to rank among the top 20 container ports at the international level, which will further strengthen its position as the platform for Moroccan exports, and as a reference hub for global logistics flows and Global Trade», concluded the same source.

For the record, the Tanger Med project is the largest in Africa. It is part of Morocco’s economic policy, based on eight clearly identified export sectors.