Tiryaki Agro signs a memorandum with Djibouti to enhance Tadjourah Port's operations and infrastructure for agricultural and bulk cargo handling.
Tiryaki Agro is preparing to operate a port in Djibouti.
The Turkish agricultural commodities and supply chain company Tiryaki Agro has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority for the development of Tadjourah Port. The parties will evaluate long-term operation and concession options alongside the modernization of the port.
The signed memorandum includes a joint examination of the technical, commercial, and operational status of Tadjourah Port, as well as the development of infrastructure, storage, and logistics capacity. The aim is to increase the handling of agricultural products and bulk cargoes. However, the document does not yet constitute a binding investment decision or a finalized port concession. The investment amount, timeline, and capacity targets have not been disclosed.
Opened for operation in 2017, Tadjourah Port has two berths, totaling 435 meters in length and 12 meters in depth. The port covers an area of 30 hectares, has a 190-meter Ro-Ro berth, and a handling capacity of 2,000 tons of potash per hour. The annual potash capacity has been stated as 4 million tons, with an initial investment value of 90 million dollars.
There is another aspect of the file that needs clarification. The Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority had previously announced a 30-year framework concession agreement with Saudi Arabia-linked RSGT International for Tadjourah, declaring an initial annual capacity target of 5 million tons. It is not specified in public documents whether the new memorandum with Tiryaki Agro will proceed within this previous framework, as a partnership model, or as an alternative structure.
Tadjourah is strategically located for access to the northern regions of Ethiopia, which are landlocked. If the project progresses, Tiryaki Agro could gain a position in East Africa not only as a cargo owner or commodity trader but also as an operator of port and logistics infrastructure. However, there are still feasibility, financing, and legal hurdles to navigate between the memorandum and the concession.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
