Djibouti

Djibouti Port has 3,219 meters of quays. Since June 2000, Dubai Port International has managed Djibouti Port. Djibouti Port has a capacity of 6 - 8 million tons per year. Port also has capacity to handle 3 million tons of container traffic.

Port operates on 3 shifts of 8 hours each, with a one-hour break between shifts. For bulk vessel operations, port can readily handle 3,000 tons of bulk cargo per day per vessel. With several vessels worked, discharge rates in excess of 6,000 tons per day are possible.

During peak periods, Port Authority monitors vessel performance. Poorly performing vessel can be shifted to alternate berths or removed to anchorage. There are plans to construct a bulk-handling facility with work recently started.
The general cargo sheds are adequately equipped. Several stevedoring firms own and operate stevedoring equipment including gantry cranes, forklifts, tractors and trailers. Only companies that are wholly Djibouti owned are allowed to operate vessel stevedoring services.

Shipping lines offers 15 to 30 day's free time, after which demurrage applies. Port offers 30 days free time after which container is moved to Inland Free Port area where storage charges apply. Due to space limitations and demands on container handling equipment, only limited number containers can be stripped at port for despatch to Ethiopia. Where many containers are expected (say in excess of 50 boxes), arrangements can be made with port to block stack these containers. Stripping inside Ethiopia requires ETH Customs confirmation that box has been re-exported out of Ethiopia. Good coordination with transporters key to ensuring boxes are returned to Djibouti. Containers typically have payloads in excess of 20 Mtn. Transport of a large number of containers to Ethiopia requires enough draw bar type trucks that can move 2 TEU of 20 MT each.

Port storage

Port authority owns 19 warehouses within the port area, of which three are in the extension of the free trade zone, totalling some 47,380 sq. meters with a storage capacity of 672,440 metric tons per year (for 45 days turn around). Approximately thirteen hectares of open storage is provided in the port or 130,300 square meters with a capacity of 1.850 million metric tons per annum. There are in addition 13.5 hectares at the container terminal which can accommodate 5,130 TEUs at a time or more than 120,000 TEUs per annum (with 15 days turn around) which is equivalent to 1 million tons of cargo per year. Port storage - if available - is free for first 30 days. Quayside storage is possible. Most berths, transit shed, warehouses and open storage areas are served by rail. Each of the general cargo berths and the coastal cargo berth has a transit shed ranging between 1,080 to 4,900 square meters.

Source: WFP