Lekki Deep Seaport Receives First Ship Powered by LNG

Lekki Deep Seaport welcomed the CMA CGM SCANDOLA on Monday, January 29, 2024, marking the historic arrival of the first LNG-powered container vessel to sail to West Africa.

The CMA CGM SCANDOLA, boasting 14,812 TEUs, has an impressive length Overall (LoA) of 36.6 meters and a width of 51 meters, establishing itself as Nigeria’s largest container vessel to dock, as reported by the Nigerian Ports Authority’s official X handle.

The Nigerian Ports Authority’s management, led by Mohammed Bello Koko, NPA’s managing director, along with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and other industry leaders, witnessed this momentous berthing.

The NPA boss, Koko, sharing on his official X handle, highlighted that the CMA SCANDOLA’s LNG-powered arrival aligns with the Authority’s commitment to promoting energy efficiency.

“The arrival of the LNG-powered vessel is much in line with the ministerial directive to take into consideration the energy transition in our port modernization project by deliberately factoring in measures that promote energy efficiency,” the NPA MD. said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, in an official post on his X handle, lauded the berthing as positive news. He emphasized that the Lekki Deep Sea Port stands as the sole Nigerian port equipped to handle substantial container vessels like the CMA CGM SCANDOLA.

Collectively, posts from the Lagos Governor, the NPA Managing Director, and the NPA underscored that the arrival of such a sizable vessel at Lekki Deep Seaport elevates the nation’s maritime industry, positioning the port as a potential mega transshipment hub for neighboring countries.

With a natural depth of 16 meters, coupled with advanced equipment and robust infrastructure capable of handling up to 1.2 million TEUs in Phase 1, Lekki Deep Seaport is poised to serve as a mega transshipment hub for Nigeria’s neighboring countries in the Gulf of Guinea and beyond.

The CMA CGM SCANDOLA, the pioneer LNG-powered container vessel to navigate West Africa, first arrived in Tema before making a significant impact at Lekki Port. It’s crucial to note that Lekki Deep Sea Port remains the exclusive facility in Nigeria with the capabilities to receive such large container vessels.