China Eximbank pledges $1.61 billion USD for the Pointe-Noire Mineral Port (Pointe-Noire New Port)

Project narrative

On February 20, 2016, China Road and Bridge Corporation and the Ministry of Spatial Planning and Major Projects signed a commercial contract for the Pointe-Noire New Port Project (also known as the Mineral Port at Pointe-Noire Project). In total, the estimated cost of the project is $2.3 billion. 70% to be financed by China Eximbank. Remaining 30% of the cost covered by the contractor and the borrower government. China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) is the contractor. As of 2017, financing for the project has not been finalized. It is unclear if the construction of this port has been integrated into plans for the Pointe Noire Special Economic Zone framework agreement signed in 2018. This project is located at about 8km north of the Pointe Noire Old Port and the construction period is 54 months. Its construction content mainly includes 1 300,000dwt iron ore export pier (2 berths), 1 breakwater in the southern side of the port, 150,000dwt fertilizer berth, 2 50,000dwt multi-purpose berths, 4km-long 200,000dwt channel, 4.2km-long 50,000dwt channel, port area dump site with the total land area of about 1,175,000 square meters, marine reclamation land with an area of about 1,396,000 square meters and phase-I project with a total through capacity of 41.95 million ton per year. This project also covers the construction of the 19km-long highway to port and 29.6km-long railway to port.