UAE-based port and terminal operator DP World started the development of a new edible oil terminal at the Port of Berbera in Somaliland.
The purpose is to reduce supply chain costs and create vital local jobs, according to DP World, which has already agreed to a long-term lease for the facility.
More specifically, the terminal will initially have a storage capacity of 18,000 tonnes, which will be expanded as demand grows. It will be able to service vessels with a draught of up to 16 metres, allowing Berbera Port to handle bulk imports of edible oil for the first time.
Moreover, the edible oil terminal will be the latest addition to Berbera’s growing trade ecosystem, following the recent opening of the Berbera Economic Zone (BEZ), 15 kilometres from the port along the Berbera to Wajaale road (Berbera Corridor) that connects to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.
In addition, the initial phase of the terminal is already fully leased on a long-term basis to Mzahim Investment LLC, a subsidiary of Essa Al Ghurair Investments (EGI) of the United Arab Emirates.
Suhail Albanna, CEO and managing director of DP World Middle East and Africa, commented, “As part of the Berbera port and economic zone ecosystem, this facility is the type of integrated port infrastructure that attracts international investors such as EGI looking to get closer to their customers.”