Maersk has opened a new container depot in Kribi, Cameroon, strengthening its logistics infrastructure and expanding its depot network across West Africa. The 16,000-square-metre facility has capacity for 1,500 TEU and is designed to support cargo flows through the deep-water Port of Kribi, serving Cameroon and neighbouring landlocked markets.
The depot offers specialised cargo handling, container storage, customs inspection and clearance services, while improving access to a wider range of container types closer to customers’ facilities. It can handle refrigerated containers for temperature-sensitive cargo and will also provide food-grade containers.
Customers will have access to Maersk’s digital booking, tracking and monitoring tools, giving them greater visibility over their shipments. “In disruptive times like ours, visibility translates directly into supply chain resilience. Right now, resilience of supply chains is on top of many customers’ agenda,” Managing Director of Maersk Area West Africa, Franck Dedenis said.
The facility also provides flexible storage capacity for cargo owners, while easier empty-container returns could help customers reduce detention and demurrage costs. With the opening, Maersk now operates eight company-owned depots across West Africa, alongside more than 20 facilities managed by third-party partners.
The carrier’s owned depot footprint in the region has grown to approximately 166,000 square metres, while its third-party network covers more than 280,000 square metres. Maersk’s depot services span Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.