Egypt’s Damietta Port Authority has floated a tender for a build, operate and transfer (BOT) contract for a new terminal at the Damietta port.

The contract entails establishing, managing, and operating a terminal for the storage and handling of grain and foodstuff on an area covering 28,500 square metres for a period of 20 years.

The deadline for bids is 29 July.

Port operators in Egypt have floated several large tenders over the past few months as part of an effort to boost economic growth in the country.

Egypt’s ports and the Suez Canal are vital drivers of revenue for the North African country, accounting for a large proportion of its foreign reserves.

In March, the Red Sea Ports Authority issued a tender to build a marine jetty and a containers terminal on a 560,000 sq-m plot at the Port of Safaga. The port is located on the Red Sea, about 60 kilometres south of Hurghada. With a depth reaching 16 metres, the port can accommodate vessels with capacity of up to 60,000 tonnes, with daily shipping volume recorded at 12,000 tonnes. Prices for the BOT deal are due on 6 July.  

The authority also issued a second tender for a marine jetty and a multi-purpose terminal on an 85,000 sq-m plot at the El-Tor port. The port is currently being used by a petroleum company under a 10-year leasing contract, which is set to expire mid-2014. The authority aims to convert the El-Tor port, located on the east side of the Suez, into a cargo sea port. The deadline for bids is 20 July. The bid bond for both tenders is $1m.

The third tender, issued by the Alexandria Port Authority, involves a project to design, build, manage and re-handover the third container terminal at the port for a concession period of 30 years. The deadline for bids is 26 June. The bid bond is $2m.