Port Overview
The Port of Luganville is located on the south-eastern coast of Espiritu Santo Island in Sanma Province. The port is used for transhipment of beef, fish, cacao and copra (dried coconut) and import of general goods and oils. The port is government-owned and can also accommodate cruise ships and tankers. The draft at the Port of Luganville is deeper than at the Port of Port Vila.
Adjacent to the Port of Luganville is the Samansen Wharf which handles domestic ships and ferries. The Samansen Wharf can handle only one cargo ship at a time.
There are two other ports in Luganville which are also used for domestic sea travel:
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Ifira Santo Wharf
-
Melcoffee Wharf
Port website: N/A
Key port information may also be found at: https://www.maritime-database.com/port.php?pid=3712
Port Location and Contact |
|
---|---|
Country |
Vanuatu |
Province or District |
Espiritu Santo, Sanma Province |
Nearest Town or City with Distance from Port |
Luganville 1.9 km |
Port's Complete Name |
International Wharf |
Latitude |
-15.51494 |
Longitude |
167.188 |
Managing Company or Port Authority
|
Port Authority – Department of Ports and Marine Stevedoring – Northern Islands Stevedoring Company Limited (NISCOL) |
Management Contact Person |
Department of Ports and Marine P: +678 36033 Harbour Master – Capt. Terry Ngwele: +678 33790; 7783338; 5728816 (tngwele@vanuatu.gov.vu) NISCOL P: +678 36084 CEO – Hollingsworth Ala Ngwele: +678 36084; 7777124 |
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures |
Santo International Airport, Luganville
|
Port Picture
-
Luganville International Wharf
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Customs
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Container Storage
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Cruise Ship Terminal
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Samansen Domestic Wharf
View from the Cruise Ship Terminal
Description and Contacts of Key Companies
Department of Ports and Marine: The Department of Ports and Marine has jurisdiction over the two commercial harbours in Vanuatu: Port Vila on Efate and Luganville on Espiritu Santo. The Department is responsible for the implementation of the Shipping and Ports Act which regulates Vanuatu’s ports of entry, internal ports, the role of harbourmasters who oversee the ports and additional related aspects of maritime operations.
Northern Islands Stevedoring Company Limited (NISCOL): A stevedoring company which is responsible for all stevedoring services at the Port of Luganville. NISCOL handles loading and offloading of international cargo, storage and movement of cargo (containers) to delivery sites on Espiritu Santo.
Vanuatu Customs & Inland Revenue (Border Control): Execute and enforce relevant laws and regulations to protect the welfare of Vanuatu by boarding international crafts (air and sea) to assess the risk of possible threat through our borders, maintaining the level of compliance to relevant laws and regulations, and providing clearance for entry, coast-wise movement, and departure.
Biosecurity Vanuatu (Border Control): Mandated to protect Vanuatu from the introduction of harmful exotic and invasive plant and animal pests and diseases. Biosecurity Vanuatu’s sea port operation is to ensure that all sea going crafts, people, and goods do not bring with them organisms that can affect the livelihood and the environment of the people of Vanuatu. Biosecurity Vanuatu has offices in Port Vila (Post Office, Bauerfield International Airport and Main International Wharf) on Efate Island and in Luganville on Espiritu Santo Island.
For more information on port contacts, please see the following link: 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List.
Port Performance
Live port performance can be found at the following link: https://www.fleetmon.com/ports/luganville-santo_vusan_9837/?language=en
Designed with a 360m long wharf apron, the Port of Luganville can berth a 30,000-dead-weight tonnage cargo ship or a 100,000 GT cruise ship.
The port is currently not congested but there are times when congestion occurs. During an emergency, there is an established priority for humanitarian cargo.
Seasonal Constraints |
||
---|---|---|
|
Occurs |
Time Frame |
Rainy Season |
Yes |
November to April |
Major Import Campaigns |
No |
N/A |
Other Comments |
N/A |
Handling Figures for 2022 |
|
---|---|
Vessel Calls |
31 |
Container Traffic (TEUs) |
5,024 |
Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2022 |
|
---|---|
Bulk (MT) |
55,109 RT |
Break bulk (MT) |
9,069 mt |
Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges
Berthing Specifications
Type of Berth |
Quantity |
Length (m) |
Maximum Draft (m) |
Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|
Conventional Berth |
1 |
360 m |
20 m |
30 m wide apron |
Container Berth |
1 |
360 m |
20 m |
30 m wide apron |
Silo Berth |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Berthing Tugs |
1 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Water Barges |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
The port is the deepest in the Pacific at 20 m with approximately 12 m at the wharf front.
The wharf can handle 40 mt per m3 loading.
Port Handling Equipment
The management and handling of the port is contracted to NISCOL. There are no cranes or gantries available. Ships arriving at the port must be equipped with own crane at a capacity of minimum 38 mt. No tined machines. There is one crane for hire – 70 mt grove – owned by a Chinese company at Velit Bay.
Equipment |
Available
|
Total Quantity and Capacity Available |
Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage |
---|---|---|---|
Dockside Crane |
No |
N/A |
|
Container Gantries |
No |
N/A |
|
Mobile Cranes |
No |
N/A |
|
Reachstackers |
No |
N/A |
|
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer) |
No |
N/A |
|
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines |
No |
N/A |
|
Transtainer |
No |
N/A |
|
Forklifts |
Yes |
|
|
Container Facilities
The Port of Luganville has capacity for about 1,000 TEU’s at the container freight station with 18 reefer connections.
International Wharf Facilities |
||
---|---|---|
Facilities |
20 ft |
40 ft |
Container Facilities Available |
Yes |
Yes |
Container Freight Station (CFS) |
Yes |
Yes |
Refrigerated Container Stations |
Yes |
Yes |
Other Capacity Details |
N/A |
|
Daily Take Off Capacity |
Information not available |
|
Number of Reefer Stations |
18 |
18 |
Emergency Take-off Capacity |
Information not available |
|
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift (Containers per Shift) |
Information not available |
Customs Guidance
There is a Customs office at the wharf. It is located within the Cruise Ship Terminal Building. Opening hours: 08:00am to 05:00pm (Monday to Friday).
Sea freight clearance at the Port of Luganville is done electronically through ASYCUDA.
Documents required by Customs for clearance of relief items:
-
Tax exemption letter from the National Disaster Management Office (NDMO)
-
Commercial invoices
-
Freight statements
-
Other charges statements
-
Packing lists
-
Bill of Ladings
-
Cargo manifest
-
Sanitary or phytosanitary certificate (where required)
Important to note that when sending relief items, only relief items are to be included in the package, packing list, bill of lading, tax exemption letter from NDMO, etc. No personal items are to be included as personal items are not tax exempt.
During peacetime, goods must be cleared from customs control within two months from the date of arrival of the goods. After two months, the goods may be seized by Customs and forfeited to the Government of Vanuatu.
Contact details:
Customs Santo International Wharf
P: +678 33780
VoIP: 6514
E: customssanto@vanuatu.gov.vu
Reference: https://customsinlandrevenue.gov.vu/
For more information on customs in Vanuatu, please see the following link: 1.3 Customs Information.
Terminal Information
MULTIPURPOSE TERMINAL
The International Wharf at Luganville is managed by NISCOL. The port has one berth that is shared by international cargo vessels and cruise ships.
Pacific Petroleum Company has their own port installation for unloading fuel tankers directly into their storage facilities.
Ro-Ro facilities are available, if needed.
GRAIN AND BULK HANDLING
The port is not equipped to handle bulk grain. There are no companies available for bagging and no silo storage facilities.
MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL
The main storage located on the wharf is about 1,000 m2 in size and is the custom and quarantine warehouse. The storage has capacity for approximately 500 bulker bags at 1.2 m2 (stacked 3 bags high).
There are also two large copra warehouses at the wharf, but these are generally always full. They can hold up to 2,500 tonnes of copra.
The Cruise Ship Terminal may not be appropriate to be used for storage during an emergency as it now houses offices for customs, biosecurity and Department of Ports and Marine. If relief supplies were to be stored at the terminal, it would be difficult for NDMO staff to control access.
Storage Type |
Number of Storage Facilities |
Area (m2) |
---|---|---|
Bagged Cargo |
1 |
1,000 m2 |
Refrigerated Cargo |
18 reefer stations |
N/A |
General Cargo |
1 |
1,000 m2 |
Stevedoring
NISCOL is the only stevedoring company in Espiritu Santo. They handle:
-
Export and import containers;
-
Transit of containers and handling;
-
Transhipment of containers; and
-
Transportation of 20- and 40-foot containers.
Hinterland Information
NISCOL has the following equipment:
-
3 x 35 mt mega forklift
-
1 x 18 mt forklift
-
4 x 3.5 mt forklift
-
2 x sidelifters (20 ft and 40 ft)
Port Security
Port security is facilitated by the Department of Ports and Marine. NISCOL also provides their own security for the port.
International Wharf Security |
|
---|---|
ISPS Compliant |
No |
Current ISPS Level |
1 |
Police Boats |
1 available on request |
Fire Engines |
No, not stationed at the wharf |