The Public Enterprise of Ports of Cape Verde (Enapor) signed a contract on 7 April with a Chinese consortium for the construction of a new vessel for inter-island maritime transport, an investment of around €17 million.

According to a company statement, the project — developed by Enapor under the guidance of the government — provides for the construction of a "roll-on/roll-off" vessel, adapted to the country's specific needs and featuring high operational versatility.

The vessel will have capacity to transport up to 300 passengers and 60 light vehicles, or alternatively 12 large trucks. Measuring approximately 75 metres in length and equipped with modern technical solutions, the new unit is expected to strengthen national logistics capacity and contribute to territorial integration and economic dynamism.

The contract was awarded, as part of an international tender, to a consortium composed of Taizhou Changlong and a Shenzhen-based company, which will build the vessel at a private shipyard in Pinghu, China, with monitoring by a Cape Verdean team. Completion of the vessel is expected within 21 to 24 months following validation of the detailed execution programme.

(Source: Jornal Económico, on 7 April)