- Commerce knowledge exhibits Malawi perefers Tanga Port over Mozambique’s container terminals Beira, and Nacala.
- Tanga Port present capability is greater than 1.2 tonnes every year.
- The harbour racks in an over $720 000 in the course of the first quarter 2024/2025.
Tanga Port is quickly gaining traction throughout East Africa and amongst worldwide corporations, positioning itself to probably surpass Mtwara Port as Tanzania’s second-busiest port, in keeping with the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA).
This development aligns with the federal government’s imaginative and prescient of reworking Tanzania right into a premier cargo and transit hub. TPA is assembly this problem by enhancing the effectivity and capability of its ports, guaranteeing they continue to be aggressive within the area.
At present, Kenya’s Mombasa Port stands as the most important and busiest port in East Africa, carefully adopted by the Port of Dar es Salaam. In keeping with the Kenya Ports Authority, the Port of Mombasa dealt with 41.1 million tonnes of cargo in 2024, reflecting a 14.2 per cent development from the harbour’s commerce exercise in 2023.
As compared, TPA experiences that Dar es Salaam dealt with 14.4 million tonnes of cargo between Could and November 2024, reflecting a 5.6 p.c enhance in comparison with the identical interval in 2023.
Nevertheless, TPA just isn’t stopping with the port of Dar es Salaam, it has now expanded and continues to broaden one other Indian Ocean Port, the Port of Tanga, the longest-serving port within the area.
Tanga port journey to second largest harbour in Tanzania
Solely this week, the Ministry of Vitality determined to make use of Tanga Port, the second largest in Tanzania, for emergency gas procurement, after Malawi selected the upgraded port of Tanga over its traditional high picks over Mozambique’s port of Beira, and Nacala.
Commenting on the event, Tanzania’s Vitality Minister Ibrahim Matola mentioned different Tanzanian ports obtainable to be used and/or underneath building embody Shumba Mjini Port, Wete Port in Pemba, and the event of Kizimkazi Port.
“There’s a surge in port exercise at Tanga Port… enterprise has elevated 400 per cent in registered clearing brokers from 32 to 164, which is evident proof of a increase in financial development throughout the area,” the minister mentioned.
Tanga Port Supervisor, Mr. Masudi Mrisha, acknowledged the rise in actions on the sea container terminal; “There was a pointy rise in ship visitors between July 1 and September 30, at the least 113 vessels docked at our port… the rise is straight associated to the enlargement and enchancment of our clearing and forwarding companies,” he mentioned.
The rise within the port’s capability can also be evident in the kind of vessels it’s now receiving, for instance, of the mentioned 113 ships, 40 have been high-seas vessels, and 73 operated alongside the coast. “This development can also be evident within the enhance in employment…we had solely 32 registered clearing and forwarding brokers, now now we have greater than 132,” the manager added.
Mr. Mrisha defined that enterprise on the port has elevated because of the discount of loading and offloading time, which has decreased from 5 days to simply two; “We are actually operating six shifts and working 24 hours a day,” he detailed.
Different components resulting in the enterprise increase at Tanga port embody, removing of charges that have been beforehand charged to shoppers for hauling cargo from ships anchored 1.7 kilometres offshore, he went on to expound.
“Purchasers used to pay $1.3 {dollars} per cargo for this service, however now we have scraped off that cost and it’s paying off,” he mentioned.
Notably, the port of Tanga processed 333,643 metric tonnes of cargo between July and September, surpassing its three-month goal of 283,025 tonnes by 17.8 per cent.
“It is a important enhance from the 230,000 tonnes that we dealt with throughout the identical interval final 12 months,” the port supervisor mentioned. He additionally identified that, ought to the pattern proceed; “we could attain our goal of dealing with 1.4 million metric tonnes of cargo this 12 months,” mentioned the optimistic port supervisor.
Trying ahead, he mentioned they’re now developing new cargo storage services on the close by Mambani inland port website to accommodate the rising quantity of cargo.
“We additionally produce other websites, together with land we acquired at Chongoleani, the place the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) is constructing its oil terminal,” he detailed saying all these websites will serve to extend its capability to deal with extra cargo.
The enlargement of Tanga Port is a part of Tanzania’s technique to extend its capability to deal with bigger ships, appeal to extra vessels, and increase the quantity of cargo it handles. As reported, the upgrades have already led to a greater than 100 per cent rise in each ship visitors and income on the port.
The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA)’s purpose is to see the Tanga marine terminal turn into Tanzania’s second-largest port after Dar es Salaam, an honour at present bestowed on Mtwara Port.
The port of Tanga has an extended historical past, it was first inbuilt 1891 when the area was German East Africa, then rebuilt in 1914 initially to serve the industrial and agricultural wants of northern Tanzania. Now it has to serve the remainder of the nation and the bigger East and Central Africa space as nicely.
Initially, it’s capability was low, and ships needed to anchor two kilometres offshore as a result of its shallow berth. This offshore offloading prompted extra costs that discouraged enterprise.
“Now, with the improved infrastructure, ships can dock straight on the pier considerably lowering cargo dealing with bills,” the port supervisor reiterated.
These enhancements have attracted giant and fashionable ships that beforehand used competing ports in neighbouring nations however are actually selecting to make use of Tanga Port.
Summing up, he mentioned Tanga Port, has racked in a powerful income assortment of 18 billion in the course of the first quarter of the 2024/2025 already, largely attributed to the arrival of 11 ships. In that quick span of time, Tanga Port has dealt with a complete of 333,718 tonnes of cargo, exceeding its goal of 283,290 tonnes by 17 per cent.
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The potential within the Port of Tanga
In keeping with TPA, every port is exclusive when it comes to its traits which in flip can have main influences on port efficiency and effectivity. As for Port of Tanga, it’s strategically situated to serve the northern Areas of Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara, the lake zone, and neighboring nations of Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Southern a part of Uganda and now even Malawi.
The Port of Tanga has a large and deep entrance channel that may accommodate a vessel of any measurement and draft/draught. It has no tide restrictions for vessels coming into or leaving the port and has a pure and well-sheltered bay for delivery companies
The port of Tanga additionally has a contemporary quay wall with whole size of 450 meters masking berth one and two. At present there are two offshore pipelines with 12 inches are used for dealing with liquid bulk (oil merchandise).
The port can also be served by services on the close by Totten Island the place there’s Typical Buoy Mooring (CBM) used for dealing with of Liquefied Petroleum Gasoline (LPG) by the use of versatile hoses related to submarine pipelines. It has a traditional yard with a paved space of 29,000m2, three sheds with a 13,800m2 stacking space, one dock yard space for marine tools upkeep and an Ro-Ro Ramp for passenger vessel companies.
As for storage services, the Tanga Port has three cargos sheds for coated storage of climate delicate cargo. It has a paved space (container yard) for storage of containers and different cargo which don’t require overhead masking, the world measures 29,000m2.
“Its coated storage (sheds) is an space measuring 13,800 sq. meters,” the port supervisor detailed.
He reiterated that because of the renovations and upgrades, its present capability is greater than 1.2 tonnes every year and looking out forward, they’re now strengthening, deepening and modernization the 2 berths on the port.
