Port extension project gets the go ahead

Port Victoria

---

Antony Derjacques, Seychelles Minister for Transport has confirmed that the project to rehabilitate and extend Port Victoria will commence in June 2022. At a press conference held on 27 May, he announced that the project had been given unanimous approval by the cabinet the previous day at a virtual meeting chaired by President Wavel Ramkalawan.

“When we finish with the more effective and modernised port whereby the ships will spend less time to unload their containers," said the minister "there will be less fees and charges which are going to be beneficial to the consumers. We want the cost of living to go down along with the creation of more economic development."

The project to create a total quay length of 600 metres and a seaward extension of 10 metres adding  significant berthing space, with adequate storage and modernised facilities. The project will be completed in three phases.

Phase 1 and 2 will take 2 to 2.5 years to be completed, phase 1 commencing by June 2022. Phase 1 will comprise the construction in the south of a quay wall of 300m with a dredging depth of 13.5m. Phase 2 will be implemented upon completion of phase 1 with the construction of another 300m of quay wall. Phases 1 and 2 will cost €60 million.

Phase 3 will follow. This will be a public private partnership project and will consist of an additional extension by 400m southward from phase 1 towards the Queenie Bay at the ex Seychelles Coast Guard which will also include dredging the basin and approach channel to 16.5m in depth.

All phases of the project will be tendered out locally and internationally based on international tender norms and best practices.

Minister Derjacques said the vision for Port Victoria is to be able to handle gearless vessels service by mobile harbour cranes and/ or rubber tire gantry cranes thus creating faster turnaround in terms of container handling.

For more details see Seychelles Nation 28 May 2021