[2019-11-20] São Tomé and Príncipe launches international public tender for construction of deepwater port

Source: Macauhub

The São Tomé and Príncipe government has launched an international public tender for the construction of a deepwater port in Fernão Dias, in the Lobata district, north of São Tomé, under a public-private partnership, the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure said on Tuesday.

The minister, quoted by the STP-Press news agency, said that the purpose of the public tender is the construction of a port that has at least one multipurpose terminal and can initially receive ships of up to 30,000 tons, and should also be able to expanded in the future.

Osvaldo de Abreu said the future port, which is expected to be 16 metres deep, aims “to transform São Tomé and Príncipe into a platform for providing services to Central and West African countries by serving as a transhipment site for containers and goods from various parts of the world to those countries.”

The proposals will have to be submitted by 20 January, 2020, will be opened in a public session the following day, 21 January, and should include financing, negotiation of concession contracts, as well as the start and completion of construction.

The coordinator of the Technical Unit to Support Public-Private Partnerships, Cislau Costa, said that the international public tender will be governed by the Public Contracting and Procurement regulation, approved by Law No. 8/2009 of 26 August.

The minister said last February that negotiations with China to build a “multifunctional” commercial port in São Tomé and Príncipe were at a very advanced stage, adding that the project was being examined with Chinese cooperation and with some Chinese companies.

The China Road & Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and Macau Legend Development Ltd had expressed interest in January 2017 and August 2018, respectively, to take part in a project aimed at the construction of a deep water port in Fernão Dias, in the Lobata district, north of São Tomé, the same location that has been earmarked again to host the project of the “multifunctional” commercial port announced by the minister.