Maersk-owned port operating company APM Terminals has received approval to extend the current concession for Jordan’s Aqaba Container Terminal for 15 years until 2046.
The agreement will be marked at a later date with an official signing in Jordan, according to APM Terminals’ statement.
“This renewal marks the next step of our ambitious future plans to upgrade the terminal in Aqaba,” pointed out APM Terminals’ CEO Keith Svendsen.
“The extension of the partnership underlines our successful public-private partnership in Jordan and it will help us expand and develop our relationship even further, exploring the opportunities in creating a green corridor connecting the supply chains of Jordan, while at the same time it is a central value for APM Terminals to develop job opportunities and upskilling of our employees to the benefit of the Kingdom,” he added.
The extended partneship includes an investment of approximately US$242 million and APM Terminals plans to reduce emissions and reach net zero by 2040.
The Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) has delivered a steady, high productivity and in 2023 the terminal had a record high throughput of around 900,000 TEUs, translating to an increase of 5.4% compared to the previous year.
“It is remarkable to see, how our employees in Aqaba have delivered and I am happy that we commit further into the future, to lift standards for connectivity in Jordan and beyond, but also to do it with sustainable and future-forward solutions. Since APM Terminals and Aqaba Container Terminal launched their vision for sustainable, empowered, and enhanced operations, the commitment and execution by our dedicated teams have been instrumental in bringing this vision to action,” commented Harald Nijhof, CEO of ACT.
As part the commitments within this extended partnership, US$500,000 will be invested in the corporation’s future efforts in implementing capacity building and training programmes for Jordanian personnel in various economic sectors.
Additionally, in 2023 APM Terminals started its global pilot program with the objectives to develop the market of electric container handling equipment and make APM Terminals ready to have an electric fleet. Aqaba was selected as one of the pilot terminals because of its nature as a gateway terminal and because of the shared vision about the terminal with the government of Jordan to have a green gateway into the country and beyond.
