Cameroon Awards Kribi Deepwater Contract

Cameroon has awarded a contract for its Kribi port to a consortium led by French logistics group Necotrans, the two parties said.

The deepwater port will allow for the import and export of raw materials such as timber and cotton as well as vehicles and service equipment for Cameroon's oil and gas sector.

A contract for the Kribi container port was awarded to a Bollore-led consortium last week.

The government is rushing to get Kribi operational to ease congestion on the port of Douala, 150 kilometres to the north.

"As the only deepwater port in Central Africa, Kribi will be the economic lifeblood for Cameroon and the region, notably Chad and the Central African Republic," Necotrans President Gregory Querel said in a statement.

The prime minister's office also confirmed the contract in a statement sent to Reuters.

Necotrans' 20-year contract includes exploitation and maintenance. The company said it plans to invest 26.2 million euros ($29.56 million) on the site and aims to have it handle more than 3 million tonnes of freight annually.

Philippines-based ICTSI and port operator APM Terminals, a unit of shipping and oil conglomerate A.P. Moller-Maersk, were among those bidding for the same contract.

Reporting by Sylvain Andzongo