Sogester terminal Luanda gears up to meet future customer needs

Sogester (Sociedade Gestora de Terminais, S.A.) container terminal in Luanda, Angola (operating since 2007) is a joint venture between APM Terminals (51%) and the Gestor de Fundos of Angola. In December 2021, the terminal significantly upgraded its equipment with the arrival of 2 new Liebherr mobile harbour cranes (MHC 800 series), the largest terminal cranes available in the region, able to reach 23 rows of containers, compared to 15 or 16 rows reachable by cranes available at other facilities elsewhere in Angola.

With this addition, the total number of cranes increases to 3, significantly improving terminal’s productivity. Frans Jol, Managing Director at Sogester, explains: “With additional cranes we are now able to perform «double cycling», which means loading and discharging the same container bay on the vessel at the same time. Higher productivity will also mean that we will be able to perform twin lift (lifting two containers at the same time) on both empty and full containers, which was not possible in the past.”

Larger cranes will also allow the terminal to handle largest vessels calling the port without any restrictions, benefitting all shipping lines. The addition of two cranes comes on top of other equipment purchases in 2021, including terminal trailers and tractors, empty handling equipment and Ram twin lift spreaders, with a total investment value of $25 million.

Gate automation and digitization

Apart from equipment, Sogester has also progressed with the implementation of digital solutions at the terminal. During 2022, a new automatic gate software will be installed in Luanda, significantly facilitating the work of truckers who arrive to pick up or drop off containers. “Gate automation is a major milestone reducing queues at gates, allowing truckers to save time and our customers to better plan their cargo flows”, comments Frans Jol.

In addition, a new customer portal will be implemented in the first quarter of 2022, allowing customers to manage all payments, container releases or other transactions directly from their computers, without having to come to the terminal in person.

In parallel with operational improvements, Sogester continues its strong focus on cargo safety, with the upgrade of its terminal security system, which now includes CCTV in the yard and gate.