Liberian president dedicates new berth

   APM Terminals said Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf dedicated a new 600-meter wharf at the Freeport of Monrovia on May 22.
   Under a 25-year agreement signed in 2010, APM Terminals Liberia operates the Freeport at Monrovia. In addition to handling containerized shipments, it is also a multipurpose facility that handles rice, cement, latex, unitized or palletized cargo, vehicles, frozen products and timber.
   “It was a tight three-year deadline, and we are very proud to stand here with this milestone met ahead of schedule so that we can move seamlessly into the next stages of the port modernization project,” stated APM Terminals head of project implementation, Soren Jakobsen.
   New infrastructure investments at the 17-hectare (42-acre) concession site will include roadway reconstruction, yard paving, new offices and gates and cargo handling technology that the company says will increase capacity, efficiency, and improve safety and performance.
   APM Terminals will invest approximately $120 million over the life of the 25-year concession in improvements, equipment and training. It says it will invest an additional $25 million beyond what is required in the concession agreement to upgrade the container yard, buildings, gates and safety activities. – Chris Dupin