Dakar, Senegal – DP World Group DB World has achieved a significant milestone in the development of the port of Ndayan. After completing the main dredging works 13 months before the scheduled date. In a pivotal station that paves the way for the development of one of Senegal’s most prominent future deep-water ports.
More than 1,000 people are currently working directly on the project, coinciding with the acceleration of construction activities.
The early completion of major dredging works represents an important milestone in the project implementation process. It allows the construction of piers and other vital water works to begin earlier than planned. This will boost business momentum and support the completion of the port in 2028 according to the target schedule.
The works included dredging a 5-kilometre-long shipping lane, a ship rotation basin, and a docking channel to accommodate the largest container ships in the world.
Overcome engineering challenges
The work was carried out using two of the largest suction dredgers in the world. This confirms the enormity of the project and its technical complexities.
More than 95% of the removed material consisted of solid rock, including rock formations with a pressure tolerance exceeding 100 megapascals. This reflects the scale of engineering challenges required by the development work. This degree of rigidity far exceeds what is usually encountered in major port development projects.
Despite these difficult geological conditions, the work was completed without resorting to blasting operations. This reduced environmental impacts and allowed construction work to proceed completely safely.
Construction is currently focused on the next phase of water and civil works as the project progresses toward completion in 2028.
Since DB World took over the operational management of the Port of Dakar in 2008, it has invested approximately $340 million to modernize the terminal and expand its infrastructure. This enhanced the port’s capacity and raised its operational efficiency. Supporting its position as a major trade gateway in West Africa.
boost
Container handling has seen significant growth, rising from 265,000 20-foot TEUs in 2008 to 850,000 20-foot TEUs in 2025. In parallel with reducing ship waiting times from 35 hours to nearly zero. Which contributed to enhancing the efficiency of operations and accelerating trade movement.
Today, the port ranks first in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of efficiency. According to the World Bank’s Global Container Port Performance Index.
As the port of Dakar approaches its maximum capacity, DB World Group, in cooperation with the Government of Senegal, launched the Ndayan Port project to develop a modern deep-water gateway that represents the next generation of marine infrastructure in the country. This enhances its ability to absorb the increasing growth in international trade.
The new port is located approximately 50 kilometers from Dakar. It will enable future expansion of capacity while ensuring more efficient internal logistics services.
After being scheduled to be completed in September 2027, dredging work will conclude in August 2026 thanks to the early start of operations during December 2024. This allows critical engineering work to start significantly ahead of schedule.
The program was able to develop a 5-kilometre-long navigation corridor and deepen it to 20 metres. In addition to constructing a circulation basin with a diameter of 600 meters and a mooring channel with a length of 875 metres. This enhances the port’s ability to receive two giant Triple E container ships at the same time.
