ROLE AND MISSION

At its creation 7 April 1967, the Autonomous Port of Lomé ensured, in addition to its regulatory functions, industrial and commercial functions. In 2000, handling business were the concession object. Today, the Port Authority in addition to its regulatory functions, is responsible for the operation of facilities, pilotage and towing vessels, physical and legal custody of the goods, the service of lighthouses and beacons, the lookout and radio, the management of port and maritime domain. Furthermore, it retains the handling of certain categories of goods, including wheat, clinker and hydrocarbons. The Lomé Port represents the driving force of economic activity in Togo. Over 80% of trade passing through. In addition, the diversity of its activities, all create wealth and generate employment, and the considerable development opportunities available to it, provide evidence of its positioning in its environment and its economic weight. For landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, Lomé Port is the quintessential transit port, fulfilling its role as a sub regional economic integration tool.

HISTORY PAL

The history of the Maritime Industry of Togo is closely linked to the colonial history of the country. It started with the Germans who build in 1890 a wooden wharf on metal piles. Following a fire, the building will be replaced in 1904 by a second wharf steel structures on concrete piles. But wharf will be carried in 1911 by a tidal wave. This led to the construction in 1912 of a third wharf with a bent bridge, but also damaged by a storm in 1924. At the end of the First World War, a Franco-British joint operation forces the Germans holed up Atakpame (capital of the Plateaux region), to capitulate as soon as August 1914. Togo is under mandate of the League of Nations (SDN). By decision of the League taken July 10, 1919, France and England shared the occupation of the territory of Togo. This is how the French build another wharf whose operation started in 1928. In 1959, , so that the Togolese authorities decided to equip the Togo of a deep water port, given the inability of the French wharf to face increasing traffic, despite its strengthening in the years 1955 and 1956. The April 27, 1960 the Togo becomes independent and July 20 of the same year an agreement on economic and technical cooperation between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Togolese Republic was signed for the construction of a port. Feasibility studies are entrusted to the Cabinet Lackner. On November 23, 1962 was the laying of the foundation stone for the construction of the Port of Lomé. The work entrusted to a consortium of German companies, will start in 1964 and ended four years later. The Port of Lomé will be inaugurated April 26 1968 and on 1 May 1968 is recognized as start date Official operating the Port of Lomé. However, 21 January 1967 remains the landmark date in the history of the Port who sees for the first time get the "Birte Hugo Stinnes," his first boat dock. The configuration of the Port of Lomé at the time included a breakwater consisting of a reinforced concrete slab prestressed concrete pile centrifuged 75 cm in diameter and 12 cm thick beaten to the bell. Given the growth of port activities and annual traffic moving from 252 600 tonnes in 1968 to 402.600 tons in 1972, the extension of the facilities in 1974 was a necessity. Thus, new infrastructures are in place: a pier against constituted by a breakwater 950 m long and gneiss rock forming the eastern boundary of the port, an ore dock with a quay wall steel planks 210 m, an oil wharf reinforced concrete built in elastic dolphins a draft of 14 m, a fishing port with a useful primer quay length of 70 m and ancillary buildings. In 1980, a second pier is constructed and consists of 525 m sheet pile wall with reinforced concrete crowning. Thus the Port of Lomé was ready to accommodate all types of vessels and goods.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PORT

The Lomé Port has huge potentials that make it a real burst pole on the West African coast. A strategic position Located at 06 ° 08 N and 01 ° 17 E, the Lomé Port is the only port on the coast West African capitals in which several in one day can be achieved. The Port of Lomé and offers the advantage of routing goods on time and very competitive costs. Deep water port with a depth of 14 meters, the Lomé Port is the only port of deep water West African coast which can accommodate ships of 3rd generation.

Exceptional natural and nautical terms

the Port basin is bounded by two breakwaters of 950 m and 1720 m long which protect the silting. Furthermore, Lomé enjoys a low tidal range (1.20 m) and moderate winds. These conditions and allow access to Port 24 to 24 hours on any type of vessel. Freeport With free port status enjoyed by the Port of Lomé, handling and transfer of goods in the port area are carried out without constraints Customs, thus saving time in processing operations of ships and goods. Lomé Port houses a vast free trade zone for industrial purposes which are located in industrial production units. A large port area Both international crossroads trade, the Port of Lomé, with a 900 ha area is also a magnet for trade and industry with a broad industrial free zone where are located dozens of companies. These companies benefit from the port infrastructure quality, flexible regulation and tax, customs and financial.

Optimal safety of property and goods, and speed of operations

One of the Lomé Autonomous Port of assets based on the speed of paperwork that is the result of efforts to simplify the removal of goods circuits.

In order to comply with the safety standards recommended by the International Code for the Security of Ships and of Port Facilities (ISPS Code), the Autonomous Port of Lomé has implemented new security measures including the installation of a remote monitoring system for port installations to ensure optimum safety on all goods.