In brief
- The British International Investment and Itad study of December 2025 states that Berbera port's phase 2 is planned to extend the quay to 1,000 m and lift container capacity to 2 million TEU.
- The same study records that phase 1 finished in 2021 with a 400 m quay, 17 m draught and capacity of 500,000 TEU, up from 150,000 TEU.
- The study says the timing and implementation of phase 2 remain uncertain and depend on throughput growth.
Contents
The British International Investment and Itad study of December 2025 records that phase 2 of the Berbera port expansion is planned to raise container capacity to 2 million TEU by extending the quay to 1,000 m and installing additional gantry cranes, and that the timing and implementation of phase 2 remain uncertain and depend on throughput growth.
What the source records
In section 1.3.3, the British International Investment / Itad study states that phase 1 was completed in 2021 with the draught deepened to 17 m, a 400 m quay, three ship-to-shore gantry cranes, eight rubber-tyred gantry cranes and a 25 hectare terminal yard, lifting container capacity from 150,000 TEU to 500,000 TEU. The study adds that DP World Berbera signed a public-private partnership with the Government of Somaliland in 2016, spanning an initial 30 year concession with a possible 10 year extension.
What it means on site
The study gives the phase 2 scope as a plan, not a construction programme, so drawings, tender documents and an award notice are not yet in the public record it describes. Quay extension to 1,000 m and extra gantry cranes change what a terminal asks of its civils: crane rail alignment and tolerances, pavement loading behind the quay, bollard and fender spacing, and the vessel size the berth can take. Any supplier pricing work tied to phase 2 can be asked which revision of the scope they are working to, and whether their quotation is held open.
What the source does not establish
Phase 2 is DP World's plan as summarised in the study, and the study itself calls its timing uncertain and tied to throughput growth. No start date, completion date, contract value, procurement route or contractor is given for phase 2 in the passages cited, and the study does not describe the port's present condition. Its economic figures are modelled estimates for 2024. A signed contract, an employer's programme or a construction report from DP World Berbera would be the records that show the current state of the work.
What to do next
Ask DP World Berbera, the port authority and the Ministry of Transport in Hargeisa whether a phase 2 programme, drawing set or tender notice exists yet, and request it in writing. If none is issued, hold phase 2 pricing as an estimate and note the revision it was based on.
Frequently asked questions
Has Berbera port phase 2 started?
The December 2025 study from British International Investment and Itad describes phase 2 as planned and says its timing and implementation remain uncertain, so it does not record a start. Ask DP World Berbera or the Ministry of Transport in Hargeisa for the current programme.
What capacity will phase 2 add?
The study states phase 2 is planned to raise container capacity to 2 million TEU by extending the quay to 1,000 m and installing additional gantry cranes, against 500,000 TEU after phase 1.
What did phase 1 deliver?
The same study records phase 1 completed in 2021: a 400 m quay, draught deepened to 17 m, three ship-to-shore cranes, eight rubber-tyred gantry cranes and a 25 hectare yard, lifting capacity from 150,000 TEU to 500,000 TEU.
Sources
Local reporting: this article is written for building work in Berbera and Somaliland. Ground conditions, prices and rules differ between places; confirm the details for your own site.