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Egyptian marine terminal operator Sky Ports has commenced construction of a $50 million bulk cement export facility within its multi-purpose terminal in East Port Said Port on the Suez Canal, the company chairman said.
Tarek Hussein said the project follows a two‑year feasibility study that identified a lack of internationally compliant bulk cement storage silos as a key bottleneck limiting Egypt’s cement exports to international markets like the US despite significant production surplus.
“The new bulk cement terminal is designed to operate in full compliance with global standards, effectively unlocking high-demand markets for Egyptian cement manufacturers,” Hussein said.
The terminal will comprise eight concrete silos, each with a 20,000 metric tonnes capacity, providing total storage capacity of 160,000 metric tonnes.
The facility will have a daily throughput of 20,000 metric tonnes and a loading rate of 1,000 metric tonnes per hour, enabling it to serve Panamax-class vessels.
Hussein said the first phase involves the construction of two silos with a combined capacity of 40,000 tonnes.
“Operations are scheduled to commence in January 2026,” he said, adding that the silos will be delivered in phases - two every four months – with full operational capacity targeted by the end of 2027.
Once fully operational, the facility is expected to scale Egypt's bulk cement export capacity to between 4 and 6 million tonnes annually.
The project is being executed through international partnerships with companies from Spain, Germany, and Denmark, the Sky Ports Chief said.
Expansion plans
The $65 million multi-purpose terminal in East Port Said Port, which hosts the bulk cement export facility, was formally inaugurated by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi in November 2025. Spanning 375,000 square metres (sqm), the concession agreement for the project was signed with SCZONE in November 2022. The terminal currently comprises a 900-metre berth and has a handling capacity of 8.5 million tonnes per annum.
Hussein said the terminal handled 9.61 million tonnes of cargo in its pilot year, and successfully reduced vessel waiting times by 4-5 hours, lowering export costs for Egyptian products.
He also confirmed that Sky Ports has secured a 1.4 billion Egyptian pounds ($30 million) syndicated loan from a banking consortium of National Bank of Egypt (NBE), Banque du Caire, and Al Baraka Bank to support the terminal’s expansion.
The company will begin drawing on the bank facility in February 2026, having relied on self-financing through January 2026, he said.
Sky Ports aims to expand facility's total handling capacity from 8.5 million tonnes to 12 million tonnes annually by 2028, while increasing grain and wheat storage capacity to 100,000 tonnes. It is currently building four specialised grain warehouses, due for completion by mid-February 2026.
New multi-purpose terminal in Ain Sokhna
In November 2025, SCZONE and Sky Ports signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and an 18-month usufruct agreement for a new multi-purpose terminal at Ain Sokhna Port on the Gulf of Suez.
The MoU outlines long-term strategic objectives for establishing and operating an integrated multi-purpose terminal, while the 18-month usufruct agreement enables immediate utilisation of the berth until the final concession contract is completed.
The planned facility includes a 588-metre berth, a 250,000 sqm logistics yard, and 100,000 sqm of covered warehouses, with a projected initial handling capacity of at least 2 million tonnes per annum to serve trade with East Africa, the Gulf, and the Far East.
(1 US Dollar = 47.24 Egyptian Pounds)
(Reporting by Eman Hamed; Editing by Anoop Menon)
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