According to bank provided information, the project aims to enhance the capacity, efficiency and service quality of the Port of Luanda in order to support Angola’s growing trade volumes and strengthen the country’s position as a regional logistics hub. More specifically, the project seeks to modernize and expand terminal infrastructure, improve cargo-handling efficiency, reduce vessel turnaround times, accommodate larger vessels, reduce logistics bottlenecks, improve supply-chain reliability, and strengthen Angola’s maritime connectivity with regional and international markets. It is also intended to support economic diversification, private-sector development and the growth of value chains in agribusiness, manufacturing, retail, automotive, logistics, transport and warehousing. The project will further contribute to regional trade integration and the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by improving trade facilitation and connectivity along existing and future transport and logistics corridors.

The Port of Luanda Unicargas Terminal Modernization Project (Noatum Ports Luanda Terminal) is a non-sovereign transport and logistics infrastructure project in Luanda, Angola, involving the redevelopment, modernization and expansion of the existing Unicargas Multipurpose Terminal at the Port of Luanda. Following the acquisition of an 81% stake by AD Ports Group (ADPG), the terminal is being redeveloped and rebranded as the Noatum Ports Luanda Terminal (NPLT) under a 20-year concession, extendable by an additional 10 years, granted by Empresa Portuária de Luanda in April 2024. The project will finance the demolition of obsolete facilities; rehabilitation and strengthening of the existing quay wall and associated marine works, including dredging to -16 metres; expansion and modernization of the terminal yard, utilities and supporting infrastructure; acquisition and installation of modern cargo-handling equipment, including Ship-to-Shore cranes, Rubber-Tyred Gantry cranes and ancillary equipment; and deployment of a modern Terminal Operating System and digital port-management solutions. Upon completion, the terminal is expected to reach an annual capacity of approximately 350,000 TEUs, 36,000 CEUs and 400,000 tonnes of general cargo. The borrower is ADPG Luanda – Operador de Terminal, Lda., an Angolan special-purpose vehicle owned by AD Ports Group (81%), Multiparques Logística, Lda. (9%), and Unicargas E.P. (10%). AD Ports Group is the strategic sponsor and terminal operator, while Multiparques contributes local logistics expertise and Unicargas brings institutional knowledge of Angola’s transport sector. The total project cost is estimated at approximately USD 261 million. The project is expected to be financed through a limited-recourse project finance structure with an indicative 60:40 debt-to-equity ratio. The African Development Bank is considering a senior loan of up to USD 80 million, with a tenor of up to 15 years, including up to three years of grace. The Bank has also been appointed Mandated Lead Arranger and is expected to structure and mobilize up to approximately USD 170 million in senior debt financing, including its own commitment, through an A/B loan structure and/or parallel lender arrangements. The document does not yet identify the final commercial lenders or individual amounts to be provided by them.

Ahmed Mohamed EL GAZZAR

a.elgazzar@afdb.org 

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/request-for-documents. Under the AfDBÕs Disclosure and Access to Information policy, if you feel the Bank has omitted to publish information or your request for information is unreasonably denied, you can file an appeal at https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-  access-to-information/appeals-process.

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AfDB

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which is administered by the Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (CRMU), is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an African Development Bank (AfDB)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the IRM, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a dispute resolution dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the AfDB complied with its policies to prevent environmental and social harms. You can submit a complaint electronically by emailing crmuinfo@afdb.org, b.kargougou@afdb.org, b.fall@afdb.org, and/or s.toure@afdb.org. You can learn more about the IRM and how to file a complaint at: https://www.afdb.org/en/independent-review-mechanism/