Key port information can also be found at: Maritime Database information on Cote d'Ivoire

Port Overview

Goods traffic at Ivory Coast's main port of Abidjan jumped more than 87 percent in the first half of 2012 compared to the same period last year as the country rebounded from a brief post-election conflict that hobbled trade, port authorities said.

Shipping via the port was timid from February to May 2011 due to violence which erupted after former president Laurent Gbagbo refused to recognise the election victory of rival Alassane Ouattara.

Ouattara, now president, called for a ban on cocoa exports from the world's top grower amid the unrest, a decision that was generally respected.

"Merchandise traffic and vessel traffic rose to 11,216,301 tonnes and 1,513 stop-overs respectively, compared to 5,994,755 tonnes and 834 stopovers through June 2011," a statement published by the port authority on Friday said.

Net profits for the autonomous port stood at 3.54 billion CFA francs ($6.98 million) during the first half of 2012, compared to just 548 million CFA francs during the same period last year.

In terms of outlook, the Autonomous Port of Abidjan expects to maintain growth started in the first half throughout the second half.

The port of Abidjan is one of the region's principal shipping hubs. The bulk of top grower Ivory Coast's cocoa exports passes through Abidjan, as do around 60 percent of goods entering and exiting land-locked Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

However, Abidjan lost ground to regional competitors over the past decade due to an intermittent conflict that discouraged outside investments and froze development until it ended after a brief war last year.

The port authority opened bidding in June for the construction and management of a second container terminal with a 1.5 million container capacity expected to be completed in 2016.

French industrial conglomerate Bollore announced plans last week to spend up to $79 million by 2015 to double capacity at the container terminal it manages at the port.

Port website: Port Autonome d'Abijan Website

Port Picture

Description and Contacts of Key Companies

For information on Cote d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan contact details, please see the following link: Annex 4.2.4 Cote d'Ivoire Port and Waterways Company Contact List

For additional information on Cote d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan, please see the following document: 

Note: The information provided in the attached document, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Port Performance

The port of Abidjan has 36 conventional berths located on three main quays (Northern, Eastern and Southern Quays), in addition to specialized and industrial berths. The port of Abidjan has a land surface area of 8,000 000 m2, water surface area of 10,000 000 m2 & 6000 meters of quays and berths for discharging and loading.

The VRIDI channel: The Port of Abidjan owes its existence to the channel of Vridi, which has a length of 2.700m, width 370 m, breakwater 200 m on outlet at sea & depth: 13,50 m. The Channel was built to connect the sea and the Ebrié lagoon and was officially opened to navigation in July 1950.

The port has the following conventional Quays and berths:

• Northern Quay: 775 meter long 10 m deep with 5 berths +5 W/Hs and silo
• Western Quay: 1525 meter long 10 m deep with 10 berths + 10 W/Hs 55.200 m²
• Southern Quay: 800 meter long 11.5 meter deep 5 berths + 4 W/Hs 26400 m²
• Specialized berth: for Fertilizers with equipments and special stores cap. 40.000 m²
• Lighters berth: for barges and lighters 300 m long 2.5 m deep
• Barge berth: Also for small vessels or boats and barges 275 m 2.3 m deep.
• Vegetable oil berth: For loading Vegetable Oil with 11 m depth.
• Petroleum Terminal: offshore 6 m depth.
• Industrial Terminal: offshore 6.5 depth.
• Industrial Terminal: With 9 meter depth. (Known as SOGIP berth)
• Wine berth: was used for unloading wine with depth of 11.5 m

The port also has modern container terminals with:

• 2 Berths - Berths # 21 and 22 with 11.50 m depth and 320 m length.
• 2 Berths - Berths # 23 and 24 with 12.50 m depth and 440 m length
• 1 RO/RO Ramp 12.50 m deep and 200 m long.
• Container Berths are equipped with 3 heavy gantries of a capacity of 40 tons each.
• The Terminal has 25 hectares paved next to the Container berths and another 7 hectares adjacent to terminal   for stacking containers.

A fruit terminal with 2 berths 350 m long and 7m deep and storage capacity in a total of 7 warehouses with an area of 18.750 m²

A Timber terminal with 5 loading stations used for floating logs it is 380 meter long and 1 meter deep.

• Adjacent to that a timber storage yard with a surface area of 65.000 m²
• Also a summer yard for timber is located on the Island of Bie’try with surface area of 45.000 m² surface area including a covered store W/H of 6000 m².

3 Oil Terminal stations at sea with:

• One station with 3 unloading or filling pipelines connected to the installations of the “Socitié Ivoirienne de Raffinage –SIR” and one line for UMIC. The Terminal can receive vessels up to 80 000 tons with 270 meter long and 46 feet of draft.
• The second stations run by CBM which can receive ships up to 250 000 tons and unlimited draft
• The third station run by SPM can receive ships up to 350 000 tons with no draft limitation

5 Oil Terminals on the banks of the Vridi channel

2 industrial berths accommodating ships with 10 meter draft.

• SIAP berth: 9,45 m
• PETROCI berth: 10,06 m

3 berths with filling stations reserved for the barges for the operations of bunkering. Enormous number of fishing berths ranging from 5 to 11 meter in depth an 1.190 meter in length.

Long-term development plans:

• Development of port and container handling berths on the Boulay Island;
• Widening and deepening of the Vridi access channel allowing vessels with 13.50 meters draft to enter the port at any stage of the tide;
• Installation of conveyor belts for cement and clinker vessels;
• Building of 4 new sheds (20.000 m² each) for general cargo;
• Purchase of dredger for the maintenance of the access channels.

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges

For information on Côte d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan discharge rates and handling charges, please see the following document: 

Cote d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached document, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.'

Berthing Specifications

General Cargo Handling Berths

For information on Côte d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan General Cargo Handling Berths, please see the following document: 

Cote d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached document, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Port Handling Equipment

Is the port equipment managed by the government or privately?  Private companies carry all the stevedoring operations on board vessels.

Container Facilities

“ SETV – Société d’Exploitation du Terminal de Vridi ” is the sole operator of the container terminal. However inside the terminal all leading shipping line agents, stevedoring companies and C & F agents do have their own dedicated import and export container stacking area.

Customs Guidance

For information on customs guidance, please see the following section:

1.3 Cote D'Ivoire Customs Information

Terminal Information

Oil Handling Terminal

5 Oil terminals are located along the banks of the VRIDI access channel (SIAP berth – 9.45 m; PETROCI berth – 10.06 m.) 3 offshore oil terminals:

1. One mooring terminal with 3 unloading or filling pipelines connected with SIR (Société Ivoirienne de Raffinage – SIR) and one line to UMIC. This terminal can accommodate vessels up to 80.000 MT., 270 meters long and 46 ft. draft
2. One floating mooring buoy operated by CBM, which can receive vessels up to 250.000 MT and unlimited draft.
3. One floating mooring buoy operated by SPM, which can receive ships up to 350.000 MT and unlimited draft

Grain and Bulk Handling

Main Storage Terminal

For information on Côte d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan additional details, please see the following document: 

Cote d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached document, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Stevedoring

Indicative rates are as follows for normal stevedoring operations from ship’s hold to quayside:

• General Cargo  7.25 US$ / m³.
• Large consignments of bagged cargo: 3.75 US$/MT.
• Bulk commodities 3.40 US$/MT.

Hinterland Information

Information for Côte d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan Hiterland unavailable

For information on Côte d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan additional details, please see the following document:

Port Security

The PAA is fully IMO ISPS compliant.

A “ Vessel Traffic System” is in place manned by competent staff.

There is also an internal security plan “ Plan de Sécurité Interne du Port d’Abidjan”.

The port has its own fire-fighting brigade with the necessary equipment.

For information on Cote d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan contact details, please see the following link:

 Annex 4.2.4 Cote d'Ivoire Port and Waterways Company Contact List

For additional information on Cote d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan, please see the following document: 

Cote d'Ivoire Port Autonome d'Abijan Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached document, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.