The Damietta Alliance Container Terminal (DACT) officially began commercial operations over the weekend as Hapag‑Lloyd’s 13,117 teu Essen Express made the inaugural call, marking the launch of a new Mediterranean‑North Africa transhipment hub built with more than $600m of investment.

DACT is designed primarily for transhipment and has an annual handling capacity of up to 3.3m teu, with an anticipated cargo mix of roughly 80% transhipment and 20% import/export serving Damietta, Greater Cairo and regional markets including the Levant and Black Sea. The 93 ha facility offers a 1,670‑m quay with 18‑m depth, 12 fully electric ship‑to‑shore cranes with 25‑row outreach, 40 hybrid RTGs and rail infrastructure featuring six train lanes with two operational at launch.

“This new hub strengthens our footprint across the Mediterranean and North Africa, covering an area of strategic importance for the Group and completing our presence in a central quadrant for international trade flows,” Matthieu Gasselin, CEO of Contship, said. He added that DACT would be followed by intermodal development in Damietta and Greater Cairo to build an integrated logistics system.

DACT is a joint venture led by Hapag‑Lloyd Damietta (39%), EUROGATE Damietta (29.5%) and CONTSHIP Damietta (29.5%), with local partners holding the remainder.