In brief
- DP World announced on 29 March 2023 that it had kicked off development of an edible oil terminal at the Port of Berbera.
- The announcement states an initial storage capacity of 18,000 tonnes and a draught of up to 16 metres, with the initial phase fully leased long term to Mzahim Investment LLC.
- The announcement is a development statement, not a completion record, so the present state of the works has to be confirmed with the operator.
Contents
DP World announced on 29 March 2023 that it had kicked off development of a new edible oil terminal at the Port of Berbera in Somaliland, and that it had already agreed a long-term lease for the facility. The announcement places the terminal inside the operator's wider trade programme at Berbera.
What the source records
DP World says the terminal will initially have a storage capacity of 18,000 tonnes, expanded as demand grows, and will service vessels with a draught of up to 16 metres, allowing the port to handle bulk edible oil imports for the first time. The initial phase is fully leased long term to Mzahim Investment LLC, a subsidiary of Essa Al Ghurair Investments of the UAE, which will also develop a packaging plant in Berbera that could employ up to 100 people. The announcement notes the Berbera Economic Zone opened recently, 15 km from the port along the Berbera to Wajaale road.
What it means on site
A tank farm and a jetty that take 16-metre draught vessels set the civil scope: bunded tank foundations, pipe racks, pump pits and marine works sized to that draught, plus a packaging building with power, drainage and truck access. A builder pricing such work can ask the port's engineering office for the berth and yard drawings and the geotechnical information for the tank area, since foundation design depends on what the ground investigation shows. Storage tanks, bunds and pipe supports are separate packages with their own tolerances, so the interface between them is worth fixing early in the drawings.
What the source does not establish
The 29 March 2023 announcement describes a development that had started and a lease that had been agreed. It does not report completion, commissioning, throughput, or achieved prices for edible oil, and the capacity figures are stated as the initial design rather than as built. The works may have progressed since, but this source cannot show that. A current as-built drawing set, an operating certificate or a commissioning record from the port would confirm the present state.
What to do next
Ask the Port of Berbera engineering office, and DP World's project team, for the terminal's as-built drawings and the tank-area ground investigation report. Suppliers and subcontractors should request the tender package and the specification for the tank foundations, bunds and pipeline supports in writing.
Frequently asked questions
How much edible oil storage will the Berbera terminal have?
DP World's 29 March 2023 announcement states an initial storage capacity of 18,000 tonnes, to be expanded as demand grows. Treat that as the announced design figure and confirm the built capacity with the operator.
Who leased the first phase of the edible oil terminal?
The announcement says the initial phase is fully leased on a long-term basis to Mzahim Investment LLC, a subsidiary of Essa Al Ghurair Investments of the UAE, which also plans a local packaging plant.
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.