Tanga. The performance of Tanga Port has significantly improved in recent years, thanks to a government investment of Sh429.8 billion.
Originally built in 1914 to serve the commercial and agricultural needs of northern Tanzania, Tanga Port has seen considerable public investment over the past five years, positioning it as a major stop for large ships on the global maritime map.
The Tanga Port Manager, Mr Masoud Mrisha, told journalists visiting the area this week that there have been at least five major outcomes from the investment.
“We are now capable of handling larger ships than we could before,” he stated.
The improvements at Tanga Port were conducted in two phases. They included increasing the water depth from just three meters to 13 meters and expanding the turning channel for ships.
The Sh429.1 billion project also involved purchasing new cargo handling equipment and expanding two berths at the port to a width of 450 meters.
With these upgrades, ships can now dock directly at the berths. This is a significant change from the previous situation, where vessels had to anchor approximately 1.7 kilometers away and were serviced using barges.
The reliance on barges resulted in TPA charging $1.3 per tonne for all cargo transported through Tanga Port.
“This charge no longer exists because ships, including large ones, can now be effectively berthed at Tanga Port,” Mrisha explained.
The enhancements have also boosted Tanga Port's productivity, enabling it to offload cargo from large vessels within two days, compared to the five days or more required previously.
During the first quarter of the current fiscal year, the port handled a total of 333,643 tonnes of cargo, surpassing its target of 283,225 tonnes by 17 percent. This is a substantial improvement compared to the 204,000 tonnes handled during the same period in the 2023/24 fiscal year.
Overall, Tanga Port managed to handle 1,191,480 tonnes of cargo during the entire 2023/24 fiscal year, up from 890,901 tonnes in the previous year. Additionally, the port successfully managed 113 ships during the first quarter, exceeding its target of handling only five.
This transformation is expected to further enhance the port’s capacity and efficiency in handling maritime traffic, contributing positively to the region's economy.
The improvements have also enabled Tanga Port to start handling products that were previously beyond its capacity, including sulfur, copper and ammonium nitrates.
“We also receive a number of vessels that carry vehicles, which is contrary to what we used to handle,” he added.
The Sh.429.1 billion project also involved purchasing new cargo handling equipment, including two mobile harbor cranes, each with a capacity to handle 100 tonnes, a Rubber Tyred Gantry Crane, an Empty Handler, and a Grab that can carry 15-tonne loads.
Additionally, six forklifts of various handling capacities and three spenders—two for handling 40-foot containers and one for 20-foot containers—were acquired.