Location
Democratic Republic of the Congo / Africa
Project record
Banana Deep-water Port Phase One
Office of the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
DP World defines a 600-metre first-phase quay, a 30-hectare yard and 450,000 TEU of annual design capacity at Banana, while Mota-Engil reports an approximately EUR 230 million phase-one contract with an estimated 24-month term. Published design-depth figures are not fully aligned: DP World's 2021 agreement release states an 18-metre draft, while British International Investment's 2024 investment release states 17.5 metres. A July 2025 DRC government statement attributes a conditional 2026 first-vessel objective and a December 2026 to February 2027 operating window, while an April 2026 Council of Ministers record described rapid road and rail modernisation on the Banana-Boma-Matadi-Kinshasa corridor as necessary. Accepted berth geometry, completed terminal commissioning and commercial opening remain unconfirmed.
Segment
Deep-water ports and container terminals
Status
Phase-one contract announced with an estimated 24-month term; no current cited record confirms accepted marine works, terminal commissioning, or commercial opening / Confirmed
Last checked
16 August 2026
Coverage
Related sectors
Deep-water ports and container terminals is the primary work classification. Related sectors connect this record to adjacent marine delivery and market coverage.
Subject index
Related subjects
These subject pages bring together related projects, technical articles, reports, and evidence methods.
Project anatomy
Contract scope and delivery roles
- Client / authority
- DP World and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Delivery parties
- DP World, Mota-Engil Africa
- Contract route
- DP World holds the development and operating agreement with the DRC government and selected Mota-Engil to lead phase-one development. Mota-Engil's market notice identifies an approximately EUR 230 million first-phase contract with an estimated 24-month term. British International Investment committed up to USD 35 million as a minority investor alongside DP World. These values and roles do not define the total eventual development cost, every marine subcontract, government enabling works or the acceptance authority for each package.
- Execution window
- DP World and the DRC signed the amended final development agreement in December 2021. Mota-Engil announced the phase-one contract on 20 March 2025 with an estimated 24-month term, which is a contractor package window rather than an automatic opening date. A July 2025 DRC government statement attributes a conditional first-vessel objective in 2026 and an operating window between December 2026 and February 2027. The 24 April 2026 Council of Ministers record identifies the wider Banana-Boma-Matadi-Kinshasa corridor as a strategic Atlantic route requiring rapid road and rail modernisation, but does not publish a port completion or opening milestone. These dates therefore remain attributed targets only.
- Works package
- DP World's published first-phase scope comprises a 600-metre quay, a 30-hectare container yard and 450,000 TEU of annual design capacity. Its 2021 release states an 18-metre draft, while BII's 2024 release states 17.5 metres. The adopted figure remains unresolved because no current design or as-built hydrographic record is cited. DP World describes a later phase extending the quay wall by more than 2 kilometres; that extension is outside the evidenced EUR 230 million phase-one contract unless a later source assigns it.
- Marine interfaces
- Verified dredging volume, final berth-pocket survey, breakwater scope, reclamation acceptance and marine percentage complete are not published. No single current record links marine ground and bathymetry, platform stability, quay structures, berth pockets, fenders and bollards, drainage, utilities, cargo equipment, terminal systems, navigation services, security and customs with the Banana-Matadi-Kinshasa corridor.
- Commercial evidence boundary
- The contract establishes a committed phase-one package, not accepted capacity. The published 450,000 TEU figure is a design parameter rather than throughput, and the 17.5-metre and 18-metre figures are source-specific design statements rather than as-built depth. BII's trade, jobs and cost-reduction estimates are forecasts. The April 2026 corridor directive identifies road and rail modernisation as a separate public workstream rather than completed port access.
Project timeline
Material developments
Dated events that changed scope, counterparties, delivery, commissioning or operating status.
Open this project in the Change LogCouncil of Ministers kept the Banana corridor on the national modernisation agenda
The official record identifies the Banana-Boma-Matadi-Kinshasa corridor as a strategic Atlantic route requiring rapid road and rail modernisation. That policy statement provides no evidence of port construction progress, marine acceptance, terminal readiness or commercial opening.
SourceDRC government restated a conditional 2026 to February 2027 operating schedule
The official statement attributes a conditional first-vessel objective in 2026 and an operating window between December 2026 and February 2027. These are schedule statements, not proof of marine completion, navigation release, terminal commissioning or a booked commercial service.
SourceMota-Engil disclosed the phase-one construction contract
The regulated notice recorded an approximately EUR 230 million contract and an estimated 24-month term for phase one. It does not define every marine subcontract, total development cost, accepted geometry, completion date or opening date.
SourceBII committed minority investment alongside DP World
The up-to-USD 35 million commitment advanced the investment structure and published a 17.5-metre design-depth statement. Marine works were not awarded, DP World's 18-metre statement remained unreconciled, and no construction, acceptance or operating performance was established.
SourceDP World and the DRC laid the first stone
The ceremony marked political and contractual launch after the collaboration agreement. It did not prove contractor mobilisation, physical marine production, package acceptance, terminal commissioning or operation.
SourceDP World and the DRC signed the final development agreement
The agreement set the phased port-development structure, initial 600-metre quay, 30-hectare yard, 450,000-TEU design capacity and 18-metre draft statement. Agreement and design evidence are not construction, as-built geometry or operating capacity.
SourceEvidence gap
What remains unverified
Outstanding evidence
- Reconciliation of the published 17.5-metre and 18-metre design-depth figures
- Dredging, berth-pocket and approach geometry supported by dated hydrography
- Reclamation and platform density, settlement, drainage and formation handover
- Quay structures, fenders, bollards, pavements and utility acceptance
- Cargo-handling equipment, terminal operating system and gate integration
- Pilotage, towage, navigation aids, VTS, emergency and ISPS readiness
- Customs, free-zone and Banana-Matadi-Kinshasa corridor interfaces
- Road and rail modernisation across the Banana-Boma-Matadi-Kinshasa corridor
- First vessel call, repeat service and terminal operating evidence
Sources and related records
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Source collections
Project sources 7
- DP World's deep-water port project in the Democratic Republic of Congo moves forward DP World, 20 March 2025
- DP World and Democratic Republic of the Congo sign final agreement to develop Banana Port DP World, 13 December 2021
- DP World and the DRC lay first stone to mark the start of construction of Banana Port DP World, 1 February 2022
- Mota-Engil informs about a new contract worth around EUR 230 million Mota-Engil, 20 March 2025
- BII commits up to USD 35 million alongside DP World into the DRC's first deep-water container port British International Investment, 19 August 2024
- Banana moves to the next stage after DRC-DP World discussions Office of the Prime Minister of the DRC, 8 July 2025
- DRC Council of Ministers identifies the Banana corridor as a strategic modernisation priority Office of the Prime Minister of the DRC, 24 April 2026