New Digs for Egypt

The Suez Canal is getting new digs as Egypt has authorized a 9.5 kilometer-long expansion to allow two-way traffic of ships transiting the northern terminus of Port Said.  The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has agreed to contract the “Alliance of Challenge,” which is the combination of six companies that already completed the dredging of the new canal.

The Suez Canal Expansion Project granted APM Terminals’ Suez Canal Container Terminal (SCCT) permission to dredge the two-way traffic zone. Currently, vessels entering the canal on the northern terminus had to wait a few hours before passing through the canal.

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) recently completed its first two-way traffic trial run in the main canal. Seven companies are working in concert to complete the new canal’s dredging. This partnership includes the SCA’s dredging vessels, the Emirati National Marine Dredging Company, the U.S. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, Van Oord, Jan De Nul and the DEME Group.

APM Terminals is lifting global trade with a Global Terminal Network of 20,600 professionals and 200 port and inland services operations in 58 countries around the globe. APM Terminals designs, builds and operates port and terminal facilities, as well as providing cargo Inland Services for cargo transportation between port facilities and inland locations, as well as other associated cargo handling functions. Its world headquarters in The Hague, The Netherlands, APM Terminals is an independent business unit within the Danish-based Maersk Group.

The publicly funded project cost Egypt about $8.6 billion.