Gulfcam (Gulfcam) Cameroon has recently announced its plans to purchase six new ships to expand its container shipping operations between the ports of Kribi and Douala. Bernard André Ndeng has been appointed as the new CEO of the company effective November 1, replacing Albert Roger Boum.
Experience of Bernard André Ndeng
Bernard André Ndeng, who has a long history in the Cameroonian shipping industry, previously held senior positions at Camship. He has been appointed as the head of developing Gulfcam's container shipping arm and advancing the company's coastal shipping efforts.
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Gulfcam's Development Plans
In March 2023, Gulfcam announced its plans to purchase six new ships to increase container transport capacity between the two main ports of Cameroon. The company's goal is to capture about half of the container shipments that are currently transported by trucks from this corridor.
This development plan will include domestic coastal trade and transshipment cargoes, allowing containers discharged from larger ships at the deep-water port of Kribi to reach Douala by sea instead of by truck. However, no information has been provided regarding the investment amount, ship specifications, or purchase timeline.
Gulfcam also relaunched its Camship shipping services earlier this year, employing the chartered container ship Atlantic Runner II to support operations between the two ports. The company's initial operational plan includes a 10-day round trip, at least three monthly calls, and a target of 2000 TEU per round trip.
This service is rooted in a weekly link established by Camship-CLGG in November 2020, which continued until 2022. Gulfcam itself was established in 2021 from the merger of Camship-CLGG and the Gulfin oil transport and distribution business.
New coastal shipping efforts are being undertaken as further investments in container logistics are made at the Kribi port. In September, Maersk opened a container warehouse with a capacity of 1500 TEU at the deep-water port of Kribi, adding 16,000 square meters of storage space and loading capacity to support shipments moving through Cameroon and neighboring markets.
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