Supply chain enabler DP World has signed a 20-year concession with an automatic 20-year extension with the Republic of Mali to build and operate a 1000-hectare modern logistics hub outside of Bamako, the capital and largest city of Mali.
Situated on the main road corridor from Dakar in Senegal to Bamako, the Mali Logistics Hub will consist of inland container depots and Container Freight Stations with the capability to handle 300 000 TEUs, (4m tons of bulk and general cargo).
The first phase of the project, with an estimated initial investment of $50 million, will support the growth of the Malian economy by streamlining the import and export of goods. Construction is expected to start in 2019 and is to take approximately 18 months to complete.
Aimed at significantly reducing the processing times for products entering the Malian market, the new logistics hub will also implement an online paperless facilitation platform to accelerate the movement of goods as part of the agreement.
In a statement DP World said it would also provide the Republic of Mali with three locomotive trains to boost cargo and passenger traffic.
