TPA reveals ambitious plan to boost capacity, efficiency

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) says it will implement multi-million-dollar projects to boost cargo handling capacity and efficiency.

The plan includes construction of four berths at Dar es Salaam Port in response to a rise in the number of ships calling at the country’s biggest and busiest port.

The shipping boom is being driven by the ongoing implementation of strategic projects and accelerated mining and other economic activities in neighbouring countries.

TPA director general Plasduce Mbossa said yesterday that apart from constructing berths 12, 13, 14 and 15, the government will also build a conventional buoy mooring (CBM) for petroleum products, construct a port in Bagamoyo and set up a facility to temporarily store goods for export and import in Kurasini, Dar es Salaam.

Without revealing the actual sum to be invested in the projects, Mr Mbossa said completing a single berth costs between $100 million (Sh260 billion) and $150 million (Sh390 billion).

This means that the four berths to be built at Dar es Salaam Port could cost between $400 million (Sh1.04 trillion) and $600 million (Sh1.56 trillion).

“Feasibility studies were completed in December 2023. We are now in the tendering process, which will take a maximum of six months,” he said during a media briefing.

The government, Mr Mbossa added, would also consider developing the berths through a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

A similar arrangement is being mulled for the CBM, which is also expected to boost Tanzania’s storage capacity for petroleum products.

Some of the national strategic projects the government is currently executing include the standard gauge railway (SGR), the 2,115-megawatt Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop).

TPA said last weekend that it has delivered 98 modern forklifts and shore gantry cranes in the last few years to boost its cargo handling capacity.

On berths eight to 11 at Dar es Salaam Port, Mr Mbossa said the investor who will be awarded the tender to develop them will be required to extend the facilities by 100 metres.

“This will enable large ships to effectively dock at the berths, while allowing other activities to proceed as planned.”

On the Bagamoyo Port, Mr Mbossa said the idea was to fast-track the construction of a 500-metre berth before the next high season for delivery of goods through the maritime logistical chain starts.

The high season starts in September of each year and goes through February of the following year, according to Mr Mbossa.

“This is the time that traders, who buy their merchandise in China, bring their products before the Chinese New Year starts. It is also within that period that goods meant for the festive season get imported.”

As such, during the period from July to December 2023, a total of 979 ships docked at Tanzania’s main sea gateway during the six months ending December 31, 2023.

This was a 123.6 percent performance if compared to a target of serving 792 ships during the period.

Similarly, while the target for the period from July to December 2023 was to serve ships carrying a total of 15.575 million tonnes, the number actually rose to 17.2 million tonnes, signifying a performance of 110.4 percent

The number of containers handled during the period was 509,594. This was a performance of 102.8 percent compared to a target of 495,600.

In terms of passengers, until December, 2023 TPA managed to serve 1,004,167 passengers while the actual goal was to serve 987,228 passengers; that number is equal to 102 percent.

“The port of Dar es Salaam has continued to do well despite the many challenges it faces. The capacity of the port has remained the same but the cargo has increased,” he noted.