Project record

Banana Deep-water Port Phase One

Aerial view of dredged-material placement and coastal platform formation at Banana Port, with a dredger pumping ashore during the September 2025 government site visit

Office of the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Construction of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's first deep-water container port is under way at Banana. DP World defines a 600-metre first-phase quay, a 30-hectare yard and 450,000 TEU of annual design capacity; 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. DRC government statements targeted delivery and first vessel calls in 2026, but a May 2026 government update still called for acceleration and warned that local disruption could delay execution. No current primary record in the reviewed set confirms accepted berth geometry, completed terminal commissioning or commercial opening.

Project signal

Construction in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Treat the contract, designed port scope and opening target as three separate evidence layers. Track marine formation and hydrography, quay and berth completion, yard and utility handover, cargo equipment and terminal systems, navigation and harbour services, border and security approvals, corridor readiness, trial calls and repeat commercial service before describing the port as operational.

Current status Phase-one marine and terminal works are under way; the DRC government was still pressing for acceleration in May 2026, so the previously stated 2026 delivery and first-vessel dates remain targets rather than evidence of accepted operation Source confidence Confirmed

Location

Democratic Republic of the Congo / Africa

Segment

Deep-water ports and container terminals

Status

Phase-one marine and terminal works are under way; the DRC government was still pressing for acceleration in May 2026, so the previously stated 2026 delivery and first-vessel dates remain targets rather than evidence of accepted operation / Confirmed

Evidence reviewed

15 July 2026

Controlled taxonomy

Related sectors

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Knowledge context

Related knowledge topics

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Project anatomy

Scope, counterparties, and execution logic

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. DRC government statements in April and July 2025 set a 2026 delivery and first-vessel objective, and a September 2025 site visit recorded active works. On 4 May 2026, the Prime Minister's office continued to identify acceleration as a priority and warned of local actions that could delay execution. The 2026 date therefore remains an attributed target 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 difference should be resolved through current design and as-built hydrographic records. DP World describes a later phase extending the quay wall by more than 2 kilometres. That later extension and eventual network effects are not part of the evidenced EUR 230 million phase-one contract unless a source explicitly assigns them.
Marine interfaces
The visible works include dredged-material placement and formation of the coastal platform. Verified dredging volume, the final berth-pocket survey, breakwater scope, reclamation acceptance result and marine percentage complete are not published. The delivery chain must connect marine ground and bathymetry, shoreline and platform stability, quay structures, berth pockets, fenders and bollards, pavements and drainage, power and utilities, ship-to-shore and yard equipment, terminal operating systems, navigation aids, pilotage and towage, VTS and emergency response, ISPS and customs, and the Banana-Matadi-Kinshasa logistics corridor.
Commercial read
The contract award and site photographs establish mobilisation and physical activity, not accepted capacity. The published 450,000 TEU figure is a design parameter, not throughput. The 17.5-metre and 18-metre figures are source-specific design statements, not as-built depth. BII's trade, jobs and cost-reduction estimates are investment-impact forecasts, not operating results. The strongest current signal is that the national government still regarded acceleration and local execution risk as live issues in May 2026.
Next milestone
Seek dated evidence for marine surveys and accepted berth geometry, platform and quay handover, equipment awards and installation, utilities and terminal-system commissioning, navigation and harbour-service approvals, customs and ISPS readiness, corridor and gate integration, trial vessel calls, first commercial service and repeat calls. Record any revised opening date without converting it into completion evidence.

Material change register

What changed, when, and what it proves

Only source-bound events that alter phase, scope, counterparties, delivery, completion, commissioning, or acceptance are listed. A change can advance the record without proving the next gate.

Government kept acceleration on the agenda after reported local delays

The Prime Minister's office recorded political concern about manoeuvres and slowdowns that could delay execution and renewed acceleration as a priority. It did not publish a revised completion date, quantified progress, accepted marine output, terminal readiness or an opening notice.

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Site inspection confirmed active works and coastal-protection interfaces

The government visit confirmed construction activity, naval-base relocation, hydrological review at the Congo River mouth and anti-erosion works. The photographs also show dredged-material placement, but the record does not quantify dredging, formed area, achieved depth, quay completion or owner acceptance.

Read controlling source

DP World gave government a conditional 2026 first-vessel objective

The high-level meeting recorded an attributed delivery and first-call objective if execution remained in order. It is schedule evidence, not proof of marine completion, navigation release, terminal commissioning or a booked commercial service.

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Mota-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.

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BII 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.

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Government reported initial rock-armour works at the site

The official record identifies early coastal-protection activity. Later phase-one contracting, revetment completion, dredging and reclamation quantities, shoreline acceptance and port completion remain outside that early activity record.

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DP 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.

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DP 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.

Read controlling source

Delivery watch

Evidence needed next

Seek dated evidence for marine surveys and accepted berth geometry, platform and quay handover, equipment awards and installation, utilities and terminal-system commissioning, navigation and harbour-service approvals, customs and ISPS readiness, corridor and gate integration, trial vessel calls, first commercial service and repeat calls. Record any revised opening date without converting it into completion evidence.

Decision watchpoints

  • 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
  • Local execution constraints identified by the DRC government in May 2026
  • First vessel call, repeat service and terminal operating evidence

Related records 3

Project availability status

This public project page is a tracked market record rather than a tender notice, contractual commitment, or commercial instruction. Use the status, confidence label, evidence-review date, and source note together when judging how much weight to place on the signal.

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Record control

Evidence reviewed date is not a project-event date.

IMWO changes phase, participants, scope, completion, or acceptance wording only when a dated source establishes the change. The review date records when the evidence set was checked; it does not claim that physical work changed on that date.

Evidence reviewed 15 July 2026 Sources in this record 10

Source record

DP World's December 2021 final-agreement and February 2022 first-stone releases control the programme and ceremony baselines; the ceremony is not construction output. The DRC Prime Minister's May 2023 record controls the first reported rock-armour activity. DP World's March 2025 release controls contractor selection and the first-phase terminal frame, while Mota-Engil's regulated market notice controls the approximately EUR 230 million value and estimated 24-month term. BII's August 2024 release controls its up-to-USD 35 million minority investment, 17.5-metre draft statement and impact forecasts. DRC government records control the attributed 2026 target, September 2025 site activity and April 2026 acceleration warning. The current record does not establish dredging quantities, breakwater boundaries, percentage completion, accepted draft, opening or throughput.

Phase: construction. Evidence reviewed: 15 July 2026.

Project sources 10