Gabon launches Kobé-Kobé deep-water port project, aiming to transform its economy by 2030
via Gabon Review3 min read
On June 8, 2026, President Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema officially launched the Kobé-Kobé deep-water port project in Gabon. This initiative is envisioned as a national ambition to reshape Gabon's and Central Africa's economic landscape. The project is an integrated chain, not just a port, encompassing four key components. First, the Belinga mine in Ogooué-Ivindo, holding 7.5 billion tons of iron with a 65% content, is one of the world's largest undeveloped deposits. Its exploitation is managed by Australia's Fortescue, in partnership with the United Kingdom, with initial shipments already underway. Second, a 1,500-kilometer electric railway, awarded to China, will connect Belinga to the coast, with wagons and locomotives expected from the United States, aiming for 250 million tons of annual freight. Third, the port itself, with a targeted draft of 14 to 16 meters, will be built by Africa Global Logistics AGL, a subsidiary of MSC Group, which signed an agreement with the state in April 2026. This will be AGL's first bulk mineral port. Finally, three hydroelectric dams in the Booué area, managed by Italy's Todini Costruzioni Generali S.p.A, EDF, and a third operator yet to be selected, will provide energy. The long-term economic model includes on-site processing of the ore, a joint effort by China and Japan, to add value within Gabon rather than exporting raw materials. The project is expected to be operational by 2030, creating up to 160,000 direct and indirect jobs. President
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