Page 7 - MPA ANNUAL REPORT 2016-2017

DRIVEN BY PASSION AND PRIDE

Bunker supply stood at 547,908 tonnes

As a result of the operation of the state of the art oil terminal, bunker supply at Port Louis Harbour stood
at 547,908 tonnes for the 18 months’ period under reference. This new business segment, which will
continue to grow, does not only cater for vessels calling at Port Louis Harbour but attracts other ships plying
near Mauritius. As regards bunkering, Port Louis is currently handling approximately 5% of the regional
bunkering market which stands at around 5 million tonnes per year. Given its strategic location, which is
adjacent to one of the busiest ocean routes on the East/West trade past South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope,
Port Louis well is on course to become a petroleum hub in the region.

The government’s objective now is to transform the petroleum sector into one of the strategic pillars
of the economy. Port Louis presents a whole panoply of advantages as a bunkering hub, ranging from
competitive port charges, facilities for disposal of fuels, bunker sample analysis that may be conducted
locally as well as full-fledged, safe and naturally sheltered port. It should be noted that an e-bunkering
service is available to streamline bunker booking procedures. The platform offers a seamless experience
with enhanced visibility and traceability on application for bunkering services.

Position Port Louis for future demands across all development sectors

Mindful of the necessity to update its development plan, the MPA continues to review planning relative to
the future commercial and industrial requirements facing the port sector. Steps are currently being taken
to position Port Louis for future demands across all development sectors.

Construction of a new fishing port at the reclaimed area of Fort William

The Final Report of the Port Master Plan, which was released in June 2016, set out the proposals for the future
development of the port over the next 25 years and beyond. With a dynamic port, comes the need for a
whole range of support services including freight companies and logistic service providers, just to mention
but a few. If Port Louis is to become a preferred maritime gateway in this part of the world, it inevitably
needs to be well connected with increased sea connectivity, especially with other Indian Ocean islands
and the Eastern and Southern African ports. It is worth mentioning that amongst other recommendations
of the Port Master Plan, is the construction of a new fishing port at the reclaimed area of Fort William.

Under the new master plan, we intend to exploit the enormous potential that the port and other marine
services represent. The focus of this Plan will be on the emergence of port activities such as cruise,
transhipment and refuelling activities and exploring the possibilities for the development of the port of
Vieux Grand Port.

In addition, the road network in the port area is being enhanced with the rehabilitation of the Marine Road,
which is ongoing.

“The top most business-friendly” port in Africa

The development of Port Maturin is also high on our agenda. The recent Masterplan of Port Mathurin
is geared at identifying new business opportunities and enhancing cargo and traffic flows. It has also
examined the challenges associated with the future development of Port Mathurin, including exploring the
potential for cruise tourism.
Port Louis has all the merits to be recognised as “the top most business-friendly” port in Africa and it
was awarded the Best Transhipment Port in the Eastern and Southern Africa region by the Pan-African
Association for Port Cooperation in 2016.

A total investment to the tune of Rs 6.5 billion has been spent to transform the Mauritius Container Terminal
into a leading container port in line with the vision of the Government to position Port Louis Harbour as the
preferred maritime gateway, with a container handling capacity of 750,000 TEUs annually. The MPA has
completed the extension and strengthening of the MCT Quay project at Port Louis. The MCT has since then

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