China to expand industrial complex in Abu Dhabi

10 December 2018
Five firms committed to invest AED1bn in the free zone in July 2017

The land allocated for the China-UAE Capacity Demonstration Park, an industrial zone to be located at Area A of the Khalifa Port Free Trade Zone, will be expanded to 12 square kilometres, according to Sultan al-Jaber, UAE Minister of State and Abu Dhabi Ports chairman.

The industrial zone was initially expected to occupy a land area of about 2 square kilometres catering to firms specialising in energy, aluminium, biomedicine and food production facilities, among others.

In July 2017, five firms from China’s eastern province of Jiangsu committed to invest an estimated AED1.1bn ($300m) in the free zone.

The Jiangsu Provincial Overseas Cooperation and Investment Company (Jocic) has been designated the main stakeholder of the industrial zone after signing a 50-year lease agreement with Abu Dhabi Ports Company.

The firms and their planned investments in the industrial zone include:

  • Hanergy Thin Film Power Group: AED800m in thin film production
  • Guanzheng Group: AED155m in integrated industrial composite plant
  • Fantai Mining: AED82m copper production of non-ferrous metals
  • Jiangsu Jinzi: AED163m for environmental protection equipment
  • (Fifth firm): AED55m steel production

Abu Dhabi inaugurated a new container terminal at Khalifa Port on 10 December.

A joint venture of Abu Dhabi Ports and China’s Cosco Shipping Ports agreed in 2016 to develop and operate the second container terminal under a 35-year concession agreement.

The contract is renewable for five years and has an estimated value of $738m.

It was said last year that the second container terminal was expected to become operational in early 2019.

The terminal will double Khalifa Port’s existing capacity of 2.5 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs), with provision for an additional 1 million TEUs depending on the success of the business model and the port’s growth.

The local National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC) recently won the estimated AED1bn ($272m) contract to expand Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa Port.

The marine works contract covers the construction of a 3-kilometre quay wall in addition to deepening the port’s main channel and basin.

NMDC has already completed the first contract for the second container terminal.

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