Eiffage, the French construction group, has landed a €100 million deal to renovate and expand the Matadi container terminal in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The firm announced the news on January 20. 

The contract was awarded to Eiffage's subsidiary, Eiffage Génie Civil Marine, by Matadi Corridor Terminaux à Conteneurs (MCTC), which obtained a concession in November 2024 to modernize, equip, and operate part of the terminal.

Under the project, Eiffage will build a new pile dock–350 m long and 30 m wide–in front of docks 5, 6, and 7. Additionally, three access walkways, each 20 meters wide, will cross the existing docks. The project also includes building an operations unit, a workshop, and rehabilitating a 7-hectare logistics platform. Works are to be completed within 27 months.

This initiative is part of phase two of the expansion program for Matadi's container terminal, which was launched in 2019. The investment plan aims to double the terminal's overall capacity from 200,000 to 400,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units).

However, some experts caution that the impact of this expansion may be limited without accompanying dredging and buoying projects on the Congo River between Matadi and the Atlantic Ocean. Such projects are essential for allowing larger ships to access the port. Located on the left bank of the Congo River, the Matadi port cannot accommodate large ships, due to insufficient draught. Consequently, the DRC has to rely on neighboring ports as staging areas for its imports and exports.

This article was initially published in French by Henoc Dossa, Ecofin Agency

Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho