Operations will begin in March 2022 and will last for 10 years, with a target of 1.4 million TEUs.
· A $33 million investment plan to rebuild and modernize the terminal.
· The CMA CGM Group is fully committed to taking part in rebuilding Lebanon’s economy.
Following the bidding process, CMA Terminals, a fully-owned subsidiary of the CMA CGM Group, a world leader in shipping and logistics, has been chosen to manage, operate and maintain the Port of Beirut’s container terminal for a 10-year period starting in March 2022.
The CMA CGM Group, which already has a strong presence in Lebanon, currently accounts for almost 55% of the container terminal’s volumes, since it has maintained its nine weekly calls and transshipment operations there.
An ambitious investment plan to renovate and modernize the terminal
A $33 million investment will be made in the container terminal of Beirut Port, including $19 million over the first two years. The sum will be devoted to:
1. A complete infrastructure upgrade: refurbishment, replacement, and acquisition of new port equipment.
2. The construction of a new technical facility for maintenance and spare parts storage.
3. A digital transformation of the terminal, by implementing the very latest management, optimization and interconnection systems between the operations and the various operators within the port’s community.
4. Environmental performance improvements, through the purchase of greener and eco-friendly equipment.
CMA CGM will use its own expertise and that of the previous operator’s teams in pursuit of its development goals for the terminal.
CMA CGM, a partner committed to Lebanon
The CMA CGM Group, which was founded in Lebanon 43 years ago, is deeply attached to the Port of Beirut, which plays a vital economic role for the capital and the country.
Following the full acquisition of the container terminal inside Tripoli port back in 2021, considered as the country’s second commercial port, CMA CGM is pursuing its will of strengthening its presence at Lebanon’s ports. The Group plays an active role in supporting and developing the country’s economy through its investments in shipping and ports, as well as in logistics via its subsidiary CEVA Logistics.
The CMA CGM Group is continuously committed to playing a leading role in rebuilding Lebanon’s economy following the series of crises that have shaken the country in the recent years. Various projects and investments have been completed alongside initiatives to support various economic sectors with the objective to create job vacancies and support the Lebanese population, especially the youth:
· Establishment in Beirut of CMA CGM’s Levant regional office
· Opening of a Digital Hub and creation of a Shared Services Center
· Support to the Lebanese agriculture and its expansion in international markets
· Industrial investments among others
After creating almost 800 jobs over the past two years, today the Group engages almost 1,000 employees in Lebanon. Furthermore 400 new job opportunities will follow over the next 12 months.
Strengthening the Group’s position as a global port terminal operator
Winning the contract to manage, operate and maintain the Port of Beirut’s container terminal is part of the CMA CGM Group’s strategy of developing its terminal business while supporting the growth and efficiency of its shipping lines, consolidating its end-to-end service offering and establish greater control over the logistics chain so that it can offer its customers higher-quality, integrated, digital and more environmentally-friendly services in a context that requires a comprehensive approach to the supply chain. The Group is currently invested in 52 port terminals across 33 countries via its subsidiaries CMA Terminals and Terminal Link (joint venture).
The CMA CGM Group continues to expand internationally, while being a family group, proudly attached to its Lebanese roots.
Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group, commented: “Faithful to our commitments to Lebanon, we will be launching shortly an ambitious investment plan that will transform Beirut port’s container terminal into a state-of-the-art facility that meets the best international standards. It will be at the service of the Lebanese people and will revitalize the economic exchanges between Lebanon and the rest of the world.”
About CMA CGM
Led by Rodolphe Saadé, the CMA CGM Group, a global leader in shipping and logistics, serves more than 420 ports around the world on five continents. Backed by a fleet of 545 vessels, in 2020 the Group transported nearly 21 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units) containers. With its subsidiary CEVA Logistics, a world leader in logistics, which transports 400,000 tons of air freight and 2.8 million tons of land freight each year, and its air freight division CMA CGM AIR CARGO, the CMA CGM Group is continually innovating to offer its customers a complete and increasingly efficient range of new shipping, land, air and logistics solutions.
Committed to the energy transition in shipping, and a pioneer in the use of alternative fuels, the CMA CGM Group has set a target of carbon neutrality by 2050. An approach involving ongoing improvement which brings concrete results, with a decrease of 4% in the total CO₂ emissions of the Group in 2020.
Through the CMA CGM Foundation, every year the Group helps thousands of children through its actions to promote education for all and equal opportunity. The CMA CGM Foundation also acts in humanitarian crises that require an emergency response by mobilizing the Group’s shipping and logistics expertise to bring humanitarian supplies around the world.
Present in 160 countries through its network of more than 400 offices and 750 warehouses, the Group employs more than 110,000 people worldwide, including 2,400 in Marseilles where its head office is located.
Learn more at cmacgm-group.com