Tanzania Port to boost capacity to meet growth projections

The Tanzania Ports Authority (PTA) is warning that the Dar es Salaam terminal operated by Tanzania International Container Terminal Services (TICTS) will not be able to handle projected volumes.

To build the capacity of the terminal operator, last year TPA gave TICTS berth number eight, but now with the annual growth of handling capacity estimated to be at 15 per cent, the use of the new berth will not solve the problem of capacity constraints.

Said TICTS chief executive DJ Cotty: "The existing terminal, including berth eight, will only be able to handle between 450,000 and 650,000 TEU," adding that this will depend greatly on dwell times, reported Nairobi's East African newspaper.

Container handling capacity is rising tremendously at TICTS. Annual growth before the firm was hired to operate the terminal was four per cent. This year the facility is expected to handle about 341,000 TEU amid forecasts of 525,000 TEU by 2010.