USTDA Supports New Multi-Commodity Bulk Port in Bargny-Sendou, Senegal

(USTDA) ARLINGTON, Va. – Today, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to Senegal Minergy Port (SMP), a Senegalese company created to design, finance, build and operate a new multi-commodity bulk port in Bargny-Sendou. USTDA’s grant will fund a feasibility study to provide SMP with a proposed design, terminal layout and operational plan for the port. The study will also assess the port’s environmental and social impact as well as its financial feasibility, providing SMP with the level of information necessary to secure financing.

“This project, which builds upon USTDA’s continued support for the Doing Business in Africa initiative, will help increase Senegal’s import and export capacity,” said USTDA Director Leocadia I. Zak. “We are pleased to connect U.S. expertise to world-class port infrastructure developments like this one.”

“This project will leverage U.S. technical expertise alongside SMP’s extensive local experience to develop a world class multi-commodity bulk port to meet the future needs of Senegal and West Africa’s fast growing economy,” stated SMP’s Director General, Dame Diane.

Economic growth in Senegal and West Africa is driving the demand for the new bulk commodities port, particularly as the cement and chemicals sectors are expected to grow substantially over the next 15 years. The Government of Senegal has prioritized the development of this project in order to increase Senegal’s capacity to import needed materials. The new port is expected to offer sufficient capacity to import and export over 7 million tons of dry bulk commodities annually.

This project, which the White House announced during President Obama’s recent trip to sub-Saharan Africa, supports the Administration’s Doing Business in Africa initiative. SMP has selected Cardno GS, Inc. (Charlottesville, Va.) to carry out the feasibility study.