Timor-Leste, a Southeast Asian country, inaugurated the new deepwater port of Tibar Bay, a new maritime gateway to the Asia-Pacific region.
H.E. Dr José Ramos Horta, the president of the Republic of Timor Leste officially inaugurated the Tibar Bay Deepwater Port on 30 November 2022, in the presence of Philippe Labonne, CEO of Bolloré Ports, the Prime Minister of Timor-Leste H.E General Taur Matan Ruak, and members of the Dili port community and of the Asia Pacific region.
As the first public-private partnership in the country, this new port aims to improve logistics services in Timor-Leste and responds to current developments in the maritime and port world, according to Bolloré Ports’ statement.
The new port is expected to become a regional transshipment hub, enhancing Timor-Leste’s attractiveness within the Asia-Pacific region and accelerating the country’s economic development.
The new platform, located 12 kilometres from the capital Dili, received an investment of US$490 million and took four years to build.
It has a 630 metre-long quay with 16 metres of draught and is equipped with the latest generation of handling equipment, including two STS gantries and four e-RTG gantries. In its first phase of operation, the port will be able to accommodate 7,500 TEUs and handle more than 200,000 TEUs per year.
“We have been present in the country for many years and are proud of this new contribution to the local economy. Together, we will develop the activities of Tibar Bay Port with the ambition of positioning it as a reference infrastructure in the Asia Pacific region,” said Philippe Labonne, CEO of Bolloré Ports.