FOLLOWING the signing in September last year of a 35-year concession agreement granting Cosco Shipping Ports (CSP) to develop and operate Khalifa Port Container Terminal, CSP recently held a ground-breaking ceremony for the new CSP Abu Dhabi Container Terminal.

The event was attended by chairman of the Department of Transport and member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Abu Dhabi Ports, Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The new terminal will initially have 1200 metres of quay, the first 800 metres of which is expected to commence operations in the first half of 2018. The second phase of 400 metres of quay will be completed in 2020, doubling capacity at Khalifa Port to around 4.9 million TEU annually, according to The Maritime Standard of Dubai.

A new agreement between CSP and Abu Dhabi Ports was also signed during the ceremony for the development of the largest container freight station (CFS) in the region. The new warehouse will offer bonded LCL/FCL consolidation and de-consolidation services, cross stuffing, cargo weight reduction, short term warehousing for de-consolidated cargo, as well as having easy access to the container terminals in Khalifa Port.

Chief executive of Abu Dhabi Ports, Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, said: "With CSP on board, we expect to raise the annual capacity of Khalifa Port to 6 million TEU. This marks a significant leap in the expansion of the port that will increase Khalifa Ports' competitiveness and ease the way for more partnerships with companies and friends in China and East Asia, which will draw further investments into Abu Dhabi."