Post-Panamax container ships will be able to visit the west African republic of Benin for the first time from 2025, following the expansion of its only sea port.

A consortium of Eiffage Génie Civil Marine (as leader), Spie Batignolles Fondations and the Beninese firm Adéoti Eiffage has signed a €160m design & build contract to expand the port of Cotonou in Benin.

The contracting team will extend the harbour basin and several wharves, and also renovate the north dock.

More fully, the work involves:

• renovating and deepening the existing north dock along its entire 1,391-metre length (16 metres deep with a pile/sheet piling structure);
• extending the north dock by 214 metres (16 metres deep with diaphragm walls) and constructing a roll-on roll-off (RoRo) ramp;
• extending the south dock by 154 metres (15 metres deep with diaphragm walls);
• extending the harbour basin with creation of a rubble mound breakwater at the end of the dock;
• and dredging of all berths to 16 metres, plus maintenance dredging of the basin.

The contract’s total 48-month duration includes five months of design and method studies, with construction due to begin in the first quarter of 2023. All port activities will continue throughout the works phase.