A digital representation of the terminal as it is projected to look when completed in 2030.
A concession agreement for the development of the Laldia Container Terminal in Chattogram, Bangladesh, has been signed between the Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and APM Terminals, part of Danish shipping conglomerate A.P. Moller-Maersk, together with local partner QNS Container Services Ltd.
APM Terminals states that the concession agreement will allow the company to operate the terminal for a period of 30 years, which can be extended based on KPIs (key performance indicators).
The Laldia Container Terminal will be fully designed, financed, built and operated by the investors as a first-of-its-kind model for Bangladesh’s port infrastructure, and the project represents an investment exceeding $550m, making it one of the largest Public Private Partnership (PPP) investments in the country’s history.
The project is part of the Sustainable Green Framework Engagement between Denmark and Bangladesh, a bilateral initiative aimed at fostering green investment, job creation and sustainable economic relations.
Once operational in 2030, the terminal will expand Bangladesh’s annual port handling capacity by over 800,000 TEUs (twenty-feet equivalent units), improving the country’s global trade efficiency and connectivity, thereby helping the key engines of Bangladesh’s export economy such as textiles, apparel and manufacturing reach their import markets around the world.
The new deep-water facility will, over time, allow the Port of Chattogram to handle vessels potentially up to 6,000 TEU, compared to the current limit of 2,800 TEU, and the terminal is expected to generate over 1,000 jobs during construction and more than 500 when in operation.
“It is with great honour that we enter this agreement with Bangladesh, which underscores the great potential that this important market has. This greenfield project enables us to play an active role in supporting the growth of the local manufacturers, exporters, importers and the broader Bangladeshi economy. We are strengthening our commitment to the country with an aim of creating a safe and efficient terminal as well as creating skilled jobs for the future prosperity of the region,” says Keith Svendsen, CEO of APM Terminals.
