Onne Ports count 2018 achievements, but challenges persist

ONNE PORTS COMPLEX, which is also home to the Oil and Gas Free Zone (OGFZ), has reeled out achievements it was able to post in 2018, although huge challenges still persist, with low vessel traffic the biggest. This has brought about low maritime business.

Alhassan Abubakar, port manager of the port told journalists during a recent stock-taking media briefing at the complex in Onne, near Port Harcourt that they received and installed quay fenders, which have been installed at the Brawal Oil Services quays area at the Federal Lighter Terminal (FLT).

He further stated that the improvement recorded in Onne ports was in line with the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of creating a global competitive economy.

“The introduction of ease of doing business by the Federal Government has added impetus to our desire to improve ports operations. As a result, critical infrastructure like lighting in the port had all been reactivated in Onne ports,” Abubakar said.

During the year under review, the ports, with one of the biggest cranes in Africa, got a new electricity injection station to provide power supply to the facility. Its water plant, which has been down for 16 years, was reactivated. It also got six Hilux vans and an ambulance to aid port operations.

Onne Ports comprise the Federal Lighter Terminal (FLT), Federal Ocean Terminal (FOT) and WACT. The facilities occupy 2,538 hectares of land and a channel, with low ship and vessels traffic, has also began moves to evacuate wrecks from the channel, as part of clearing the port for expected vessel traffic. The port manager informed that two wrecks have been successfully evacuated in the outgoing year.

Abubakar said the port has 12 deep berths of 12-metres each (1-6 at FLT, 7-9 used by West African Container Terminal – WACT and 10-12 used by Integrated Logistics Services – Intels), and that it has also witnessed export increase with two vessels.

But despite this, the port is still pretty low on maritime activities. He added that plans are underway to increase the berths to 19.

Abubakar also informed that they have also been operating two vessels for RORO [roll on, roll off]; vessels for fertilizer exports by Indorama Eleme Fertilizer & Chemicals Limited (IEFCL) and another for urea importation from Morocco for use in the blending plants across the country.

The port manager said they have provided ‘safe anchorage area’ to take away seized and abandoned vessels on the waterways.

He stated that Onne ports have the biggest cranes in Africa, with the capacity of lifting over 230 tons of cargo as well as a dedicated container terminal.

Meanwhile, Abubakar, who specialized in ports and cargo handling with over 29 years’ experience and an alumnus of Cardiff University, UK, said the Onne Port has no issues with Terminal Operators, and that their operations have ran so far unhindered by either party.