Benin Terminal welcomes a 300 m container ship for the first time ever

Benin Terminal has welcomed the "CCNI ARAUCO", the largest ship to have ever berthed at Cotonou. This 300-metre long, MAERSK ship weighing over 100,062 tonnes, sailing under the Hong Kong flag, berthed at Benin Terminal's berth No. 10.

This ship coming from Shanghai has a loading capacity of 8,700 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers. It allowed Benin Terminal's teams to unload containers intended for Benin and for bordering countries and to load containers of products for export.

Thanks to the actions implemented by Benin Terminal in synergy with the Autonomous Port of Cotonou, four other ships of this size have already been announced over the next few days on Benin Terminal's berths.

Arnaud Jobard, Director of operations for Benin Terminal, said:

"This operation, resulting from the partnership between the Autonomous Port of Cotonou, MAERSK and Benin Terminal, is the culmination of the plan to modernise the Port of Cotonou's container terminal. With significant investments in equipment, information systems, and staff training, Benin Terminal is helping to make the Port of Cotonou a driving force for the social and economic development of Benin."

Large-capacity ships calling at the Port of Cotonou reinforces Benin Terminal's aim of becoming a growing regional logistics hub for Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria. This is helping to strengthen Benin Terminal's contribution to the economic development of Benin.