Photo credit: CMA CGM
French shipping company CMA CGM and GEPB have launched a $100m expansion of the container terminal at Beirut Port.
The project will primarily expand the terminal’s container stacking areas, expanding yard space from 45 to 80 hectares and annual handling capacity from 1.2 million to 2.8 million TEUs.
The expansion of the terminal footprint is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete.
The project includes a new quay for feeder vessels equipped with two mobile cranes, intended to reduce vessel and cargo waiting times.
A new customs inspection area and two X-ray scanners will also support Lebanon’s efforts to secure cargo flows and strengthen port security.
Additional parking and staging areas, along with a heavy-haul bridge, are planned to improve traffic flow and ease congestion.
The terminal will also receive new-generation cargo-handling equipment, including hybrid and energy-efficient machinery, to optimize operations, reduce energy consumption and limit environmental impact.
Optimized container storage areas and an automated gate complex are planned to enhance the terminal’s efficiency.
The project builds on CMA Terminals’ role in managing, operating and maintaining the container terminal under a 10-year contract that began in March 2022, following an international public tendering process.
CMA CGM’s contribution covers financing and planning the expansion, ordering and supervising the works, and executing the project.
The foundation-stone ceremony was held at the Port of Beirut in the presence of prime minister Nawaf Salam, alongside minister of public works and transport Fayez Rasamny, chairman and general manager of the Port of Beirut Marwan Naffi, and Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and chief executive officer of the CMA CGM Group.
“Since taking over the Beirut Container Terminal concession four years ago, we have given the terminal the means not only to recover but to thrive and reclaim its rightful place,” said Rodolphe Saadé, chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group. “Today, the launch of the expansion project marks a new milestone. This investment will position the Beirut Container Terminal as a regional hub in an ever-evolving global trade landscape. It reflects CMA CGM’s long-term commitment to Lebanon and our confidence in the country’s future.”
