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The deputy CEO of Bolloré Transport and Logistics has stated publicly that the company plans to invest EUR400 million (US$491.6 million) to build a second container terminal at the port of Abidjan, the Ivory Coast's main port.

Construction will begin in June or July 2019, with the terminal commencing operations from June 2020. 

Bolloré's Africa Logistics division won the contract to deliver and manage the terminal in 2013, in consortium with APM Terminals and Bouygues. Maersk Group, owner of APM Terminals, will also provide financing for the project.

Bolloré Ports is a majority shareholder of the port’s existing terminal, which it operates as a joint venture with a subsidiary of Maesrk. The company signed a concession agreement for the terminal in October 2003. The total wharf length is 1,000m and its full container storage capacity is 22,000 TEUs (20-foot container units).

Port authorities are currently widening the canal leading to the port to enable larger ships to dock. Bolloré aims to increase terminal capacity by around 15%.

This expansion work follows the company's announcement in November that the port had received two new, latest-generation ship-to-shore gantry cranes to improve its handling capacity, which were due to come into service last month. The cranes are able to serve container ships of more than 8,000 TEUs and together have a maximum payload of 65 metric tons.

Located in Treichville, in southern Abidjan, Port of Abidjan is a major contributor to the economy of Ivory Coast. It is primarily used to ship cocoa beans, as the country is the world’s top cocoa producer, and is also a vital supply and export route for landlocked countries to the north. Ivory Coast authorities want the port to become a regional hub.

According to the Ivoirian Ministry of Economy and Finance, traffic through the port contributes to 90% of the customs revenues of Ivory Coast and 60% of the country's income.