Eiffage’s subsidiary Eiffage Génie Civil Marine and Belgian firm Jan de Nul have secured a design and construction contract for the expansion of the Port of Callao Muelle Norte (North Terminal at the Port of Callao) in Peru.

The consortium will undertake the project for APM Terminals Callao, operator of the terminal.

Works under the €100m ($117m) contract involve demolishing docks 4 and 5C, and construction of a new dock 5C using piling techniques.

The new structure will measure 441m in length and 44m in width, nearly doubling the size of the current facility.

The project duration extends to 21 months, including a five-month preliminary study phase.

Construction will proceed in stages to allow uninterrupted port operations, Eiffage stated.

The North Multipurpose Terminal at the Port of Callao reportedly handles containerised cargo, break bulk, solid bulk, RoRo and general cargo. It also accommodates cruise vessels and passenger services.

APM Terminals Callao, which is jointly owned by APM Terminals and Terminal Investment Limited (TIL), holds a reported 40% share of the nation’s containerised cargo market and 70% in general cargo, excluding minerals.

The modernisation of the North Terminal forms part of a six-phase concession agreement between APM Terminals Callao and the Peruvian government, totalling $1.2bn in pledged investment.

In July last year, Port of Callao unveiled Stage 3A of the North Terminal modernisation, which included the construction of 12 advanced vertical silos, raising grain storage from 25,000 to 85,000 tonnes.

In addition to the contract in Peru, Eiffage stated that it is conducting multiple projects in Africa, with activity focused in Benin, the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The company said: “This new contract consolidates the group’s position in complex major port projects drawing on our comprehensive internal engineering and methods experience and advanced maritime civil engineering expertise.”