A trailing suction hopper dredger from DEME, a Belgian company operating worldwide in dredging, coastal construction, and other marine engineering sectors, is currently at work at the Lomé Container Terminal (LCT). This strategically important port facility is owned by MSC Shipping, the world’s largest container shipping line, and China Merchants Ports.
The extensive works include both general maintenance and dredging of the actual port basin, the turning basin, and the access channel to ensure optimal navigability. The LCT on the Gulf of Guinea is ideally positioned to serve as a major transshipment hub for the West African coast. The terminal also provides access to the landlocked countries of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, with which Togo recently entered into close cooperation—despite these states no longer participating in the West African economic community ECOWAS due to their military regimes. Togo, however, remains a member.
The port plays a crucial role in China’s efforts to bring global transport routes under its control and to expand its economic, political, and military power. The country is present in many African nations and continues to gain increasing influence.