Abu Dhabi's AD Ports Group has begun operations at the Port of Luanda, which handles 76 percent of the country's cargo and container volumes, after signing a 20-year concession contract in April 2024 that provides for investments of around US$250 million by 2026 to modernise the Noatum Ports terminal and develop Noatum Unicargas Logistics.
“In line with market demand, AD Ports Group's investment may be increased to up to US$380 million over the concession period, which may be extended for a further ten years,” the company said.
The group's regional director, Mohamed Eidha Al Menhali, was quoted in the statement as saying that AD Ports is strategically positioned to take advantage of the growth in container volumes in Angola, which is expected to increase by an average of 3.3 percent annually over the next decade.
Over the past three years, AD Ports Group has expanded its presence in Africa, announcing investments of over US$800 million in the maritime and shipping, ports and logistics sectors in countries such as Egypt, the Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Angola.
AD Ports Group holds an 81 percent stake in the Luanda multipurpose terminal project, with Angolan partners Unicargas and Multiparques, and a 90 percent stake in the logistics project, with Unicargas.
The Luanda port terminal will be modernized, becoming a terminal specializing in general cargo, containers and roll-on/roll-off or Ro-Ro (a type of maritime transport) and the only one in the Port of Luanda with a depth of 16 meters close to the coast.
New equipment to move containers will be installed by the third quarter of 2026, which will result in a significant increase in container capacity, from 25,000 TEU (container measurement units) to 350,000 TEU and in the Ro-Ro volume that will exceed 40 thousand vehicles.
