Kuwait’s Global Logistics Services and Warehousing Company (Glow) has won a concession to operate berth 5 at Umm Qasr port in Iraq.

Berth 5 handles containers and Glow has already completed the renovation of the berth and has ordered gantry cranes. Glow will operate berth 5 for a three-year period and may choose to further develop the berth in the future.

French shipping group CMA CGM has also won a concession to operate berth 4 and will carry out a $20m renovation of the berth together with the Iraqi General Company for Ports.

The expansion is expected to take three years to complete.

Sharjah-based port operator Gulftainer is already renovating berth 8 at Umm Qasr and expects to start operating it in the next few months. The firm won a concession to operate berths 10 and 11 at the port in April (MEED 18:4:10).

Gulftainer will first complete the construction of berths 10 and 11 as they are currently incomplete and when they are finished the berths will form the new Iraq Container Terminal.

Iraq is investing heavily in building and upgrading its ports. Italy’s Impregilo is leading a consortium that is carrying out the design of the planned $6bn Great Faw port in Basra province. The design work is expected to take 15 months to complete.

Iraq is also planning to build a dry port in Basra that would support operations at Great Faw.