The Damietta Alliance Container Terminal officially started operations with the first call of the “Essen Express”. Up to 3.3 million TEU are to be handled here every year.
The Damietta Alliance Container Terminal (DACT) is located in the Egyptian port city of Damietta, around 200 km north of Cairo and in the immediate vicinity of the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most important trade routes. It covers an area of around 93 ha and has a 1,670 m long quay. The water depth is 18 m, so that even large container ships can be handled. Twelve all-electric ship-to-shore cranes with 25-row booms and 40 hybrid gantry cranes are in use at the terminal. Other equipment includes spreaders and lashing cages. Two of the six rail infrastructure tracks are already in use.
The DACT is primarily designed for transshipment, with a planned total capacity of 3.3 million TEU per year. Around 80% of the expected freight will be transshipment, 20% import and export. The terminal will serve both the Egyptian market (Damietta and Greater Cairo) and regional markets such as the Levant and the Black Sea. Hapag-Lloyd’s “Essen Express” (13,117 TEU) was the first ship to dock at the terminal on Saturday. The Megamax ship is part of the German shipping company’s Hamburg Express class and, like its sister ships, sails on the Europe-Asia route.
“We are delighted about the commissioning of the terminal in Damietta. It is an important addition to Hapag-Lloyd’s global network,” said Juan Pablo Richards, Senior Managing Director Region South Europe at Hapag-Lloyd. “The new hub strengthens our position in the Eastern Mediterranean and enhances our ability to offer our customers reliable, efficient and competitive services on the main East-West and regional trade lanes.”
“The successful commissioning of our new terminal in the Port of Damietta is an important milestone for our terminal portfolio,” said Dheeraj Bhatia, CEO of Hanseatic Global Terminals and Member of the Executive Board of Hapag-Lloyd. “As we move towards full commissioning in 2026, this facility will play a key role in strengthening global supply chains, further enhancing the Gemini network’s industry-leading schedule reliability and delivering high-quality, efficient services to our customers.”
Hapag-Lloyd, Eurogate and Contship are the largest shareholders
The joint venture Damietta Alliance Container Terminals S.A.E. has been established for the development and operation of the DACT. The shareholders are Hapag-Lloyd Damietta (39%), represented by Hanseatic Global Terminals (HGT), Eurogate (29.956%) and Contship Italia (29.956%). Ship & Crew Egypt (0.07%) and the Middle East Logistics & Consultants Group (1%) are also shareholders.
According to a press release, “great importance” will be attached to occupational safety, environmental compatibility and energy efficiency at DACT. Electric and hybrid port handling equipment will reduce emissions and support the sustainable operation of the terminal. An “active, open and constructive dialog” is being conducted with local communities and interest groups in Damietta (also known as Damiette in German). The city on the Nile Delta has around 280,000 inhabitants, with almost 1 million people living in the metropolitan region.
