Completed Berth 22 at the Port of Mombasa Docks first ship
14th June 2022
Mombasa
The newly constructed berth 22 at the Port of Mombasa docked its first ship. KPA team successfully docked a 264-metre-long CMA- CGM vessel Mv Jamaica with the help of two 57-ton Azimuth bollard pull tugboats.
The vessel discharged a total of 2,704 TEUS and loaded 3738 TEUS carrying mainly agricultural products and minerals ores from East Africa.
Mv Jamaica, a cellular container ship, is a flagship CMA CGM Vessel flying the flag of Malta and operates under the Asia East Africa Kenya Service (ASEA service) connecting East Africa and the Far East).
The Master of Mv Jamaica, Pawel Krzysztof Kalinowski was an elated man as his massive ship smoothly docked whilst earning the title of the first ship to ever dock there.
“I am proud that berth 22 will always be associated with our line (CMA-CGM) and Master Pawel,” said the elated Master.
Kenya Ports Authority crossed another milestone after the completion of a 320-meter modern berth that will add 450,000 TEUS to the existing 1.65 million TEUs annually, thus securing Mombasa’s African elite port status with a respectable 2.2 million TEUs annually.
The modern berth whose construction started 1st September 2018 by Japanese engineers - Toyo Construction Company Ltd and finished late last year is part of the Vision 2030 Mombasa Port Development Programme (MPDP) which seeks to modernize the port and expand existing capacity in phases.
The first phase of the project included dredging the channel to minus 15 and widening of the tuning basin to 300 meters while extending berth 18 to 240 metres.
Additionally, the project contractors, Toyo Construction company Ltd were tasked to deliver Cargo handling equipment including four Ship to Shore Gantry (SSG) and 12 Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) cranes.
Of this equipment, one SSG and 12 RTGs were delivered and commissioned in Phase 1 of the project and are currently in use while three STSs were delivered in January this year and are currently being commissioned.
The construction of the facility features some cutting-edge technology including the use of Prefabricated Vertical Drains (PVDs) up to 6metres speeding up drainage of water from the reclaimed area. In addition, precast concrete was used for berth structure and building works to speed up construction and increase horizontal and vertical stability. Precast concrete is is a construction product produced by casting concrete in reusable moulds before transporting the cast to site.
For the piles lodged deep into the seabed, cathodic and anodic protection technique was utilised using small electric currents that ward off marine organisms that usually corrode metal. The technique is popular in coastal salty waters as it prolongs the lifespan of the project.
On the marine side, bollard markings have been completed. The bollards can stand a bollard pull of 100 tonnes and are manually operated and stand 25 meters apart as per international standards.
A new addition to berth 22 is the adoption of pilot guiding lights located at both extremities of the berth. The guiding lights function as berth markers and are ideal during low visibility or bad weather – where in their absence, pilots still manage to dock but amidst careful calculation.
Since the lights are solar powered, in case of grid failure, berth 22 will be business as usual as berthing operation will not be affected.
Ends…
