The double digit growth at the West Mediterranean hubs is likely to be cut as the development of deep water hub ports in the Gulf of Guinea gains momentum,according to UK shipping consultant Drewry.
Mediterranean ports like Morocco’s Tanger Med transshipment hub or Algeciras have recorded a significant growth over the last few years.
Volumes at Tanger Med broke the 3 million teu mark for the first time in 2014, fulled by a 20% volume growth.
However, with the launching of the Lome Container Terminal (LCT) in Togo, development of a second container terminal at Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire and major new projects in Nigeria including for example, at Lekki and Badagry, the growth rate at the West Med is likely to drop.
“The development of ports like Lome and Abidjan as West African hubs in the Gulf of Guinea is likely to dampen growth rates at West Med hubs. However, the need to fill ever larger vessels on Asia-Europe and north-south services will mean that the attraction of wayport calls for hubbing at West Med and Atlantic ports will remain significant,” Drewry said.