DP World’s P&O Ports wins terminal concession at Port de Sete

The Dubai-based global port terminal operator has agreed to take over a terminal at the south of France port that will focus initially on feeder services in the Mediterranean.    Terminal operator DP World subsidiary P&O Ports has been awarded a three-year management contract to operate the container terminal in the Port de Sete in the south of France, the company said in a statement.
   P&O Ports said the contract may be converted into a long-term concession in the future, however.
   “Port De Sète has great potential and is ready to become another gateway port for France,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, chairman of Ports Customs and Freezones Corp., (PCFC) in Dubai.
   Initially, the terminal will primarily cater to feeder services in the eastern Mediterranean, the Maghreb region and North Africa, said the Sultan. But once development takes place, the terminal will see more multinational shippers and international destinations, he said.
   The company will operate a container yard with a draft up to 14.5 meters and a 457-meter quay on two hectares of land. The port itself handles general and breakbulk cargo, container, ro-ro services and cruise and ferry terminals. Concrete handling facilities and an agro-industrial complex are also present at the port.