Lekki Port to Berth Large Container Vessels of 18, 000 TEUs

By DAPO OLAWUNI

The management of the Lekki Port located at the Lagos Free Trade Zone said it has said the port would have capacity to berth large containerships of 18, 000 TEUs when completed.

Technical Director, Lekki Port, Steven Heukelom, who disclosed this on Wednesday in Lagos during a media tour of the Lekki Port said the port would also be receiving its first vessel by year 2022.

According to him, the company has

achieved 50 percent completion of the Breakwater, which is one of the largest and critical part of the port construction.

He said one kilometre work has been done out of the full length of 1.9 metres projected.

Heukelom said after completion, the deep seaport would have three containers berth of 680 – metre long and 16.5-metre water depth, one liquid and one dry bulk terminals.

According to Heukelom, “We are now somewhere almost half way in the breakwater construction. We have done 900 metres, close to one kilometre and the full length will be 1.9 metres. We will also dredge the channels going up, the channels will be around 11 kilometres long before we reach the natural depth of 16.5 metres and then we are good to go.

“In phase 2 in the future, when we will put the liquid jetties, the basin in the channel will be deepened to 19.5 metres. The maximum size of container vessel that we can receive will be 18, 000 TEUs. So you can understand that having big ships like this in the port will be a game changer.”

Also speaking during the media tour, the Landside Infrastructure Manager of Lekki port, Mr. Kunle Fadunmuye explained that thirty thousand X-blocks are being produced to reduce the wave impact along the Lekki port breakwater.

In his words, “There are three types of X-blocks, we have the three meter, two meter and the five meter.

“We are using sulphate resisting cement to build the X-blocks. The three meter X-blocks are 7.2tons, the two meter X-blocks are 4.2tons while the five meter X-blocks are around 13tons.

“The Breakwater is like an egg. It’s edge comprises of the X-blocks while the core consist of quarry rocks.

“We will be having the whole 50 hectares of Lekki port floor covered with interlocking blocks. Presently, we are doing what is called the Dynamic Compaction to increase the bearing capacity of the soil.

“The Breakwater that we are building here will stand serious wave impact. Aside the Breakwater, we are also constructing the Groynes to complement the work of the Breakwater.

“The Breakwater gives protection to the harbour areas from the sea waves.”

In her presentation, the projects Media Counsel/Relationship Group Director, Adesuwa Ladoja explained that efforts are ongoing between the project promoters and the Federal Government to connect the port by rail.

“The Federal Ministry of Transportation has written to us concerning linking the port to the national rail system, and efforts are being put in that direction to ensure we don’t repeat the mistakes of Apapa port,” Adesuwa stated.