The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has awarded a grant to a Senegalese company to design, finance, build and operate a new multi-commodity bulk port in Bargny-Sendou.
In the first phase USTDA will fund a feasibility study for Senegal Minergy Port (SMP) that will ultimately provide SMP with a proposed design, terminal layout and operational plan for the port. The study will also assess the port's environmental and social impact as well as its financial feasibility, providing SMP with the level of information necessary to secure further financing for the build.
"This project, which builds upon USTDA's continued support for the Doing Business in Africa initiative, will help increase Senegal's import and export capacity," said USTDA director Leocadia I Zak in a statement. "We are pleased to connect US expertise to world-class port infrastructure developments like this one.”
The project is expected to leverage US technical expertise alongside SMP's extensive local experience to develop a world-class multi-commodity bulk port to meet the future needs of Senegal and West Africa's fast growing economy.
Economic growth in Senegal and West Africa is driving the demand for the new bulk commodities port, particularly as the cement and chemicals sectors are expected to grow substantially over the next 15 years.
The Senegal government has prioritised the development of this project in order to increase Senegal's capacity to import necessary materials. The new port is expected to offer sufficient capacity to import and export over 7 million tons of dry bulk commodities annually.
