Qatar developing QR22bn deep-sea port Doha • Qatar is developing a world-class deep-sea port at a cost of a whopping QR22bn ($6bn). The proposed facility to be located north of Mesaieed will cover an area of 20 square kms. The port will be built in phases. The first phase will have a capacity of two million TEU (20 Feet Equivalent Unit) per year and by 2030 when fully operational, the port will be able to handle six million TEU of container capacity per year. By contrast the capacity of the existing port in 2006 stood at less than one million TEU for containers. Details of the project were unveiled at a presentation made by Malcolm James Bell, Project Manager of Scott Wilson Ltd, a consultancy group for the New Doha Port Project, at a meeting hosted by Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) here yesterday. “Our concept design is to provide a world-class deep water port for Doha. We need to accommodate berth to at least 2030 and significantly beyond that,” Bell said. “By 2030 our forecast shows that there will be six million TEU containers per year being moved through the new port which would require depth of water to minus 17 metres to cater to the latest and largest container ships.” He added that the guiding principle in developing the concept design and selection of the site is to provide a new port to replace the existing one, alleviate the congestion being experienced in Doha and optimise its location within the economic zone. A new study area for the new port is focused on South of Al Wakrah and North of Mesaieed looking into ways the port would fit into the economic zone and promote both Doha’s development and the economic zone. As a general layout in what is considered as an optimised version of the new port, three container terminals were modelled on a standard two million TEU per year and ultimately with the developments leading to three terminal with a combined six million TEU. The new port will include facilities for general cargo, offshore supply vessels, vehicle terminal for the continuing importation of vehicles, and a large dock terminal. It would also maximise its synergies with the economic zone and the Mesaieed Industrial City (MIC) providing opportunities for future investments both in the short term and long term. Forecasts show that general cargo will witness a huge increase because of the movement of containers and importation of vehicles, cereal and livestock will also continue to grow and provisions are to be made for suitable facilities. It is estimated that there will be 14,000 truck movements, excluding private vehicles a day, when the port is fully developed. “This will be far more advanced than the existing facility and will be dedicated to providing suitable facilities for increased numbers and a more efficient turnaround and offloading,” Bell said. Provisions have also been made for the expansion of the port to beyond 2030, where two more terminals would come up bringing the total capacity up to 10 million TEU as well as for expansion of offshore supply for livestock and general cargo. Phase 1 render taken from customs website.

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