CHEC wins Thilafushi port key-wall construction deal

China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) has been awarded the contract to construct the international and domestic key walls of the Thilafushi Commercial Port.

The agreement was signed Monday between Maldives Ports Limited (MPL) and China Harbour Engineering Company. The agreement was signed by MPL Chief Executive Officer Hussain Shafeeq and CHEC Country Manager Mao Bao.

Under the agreement, CHEC will construct a 375-metre international key wall with a depth of 14.6 metres for container vessels, and an 820-metre domestic key wall with a depth of five metres for freight vessels operating in domestic transport.

MPL said the project is intended to address capacity constraints faced by businesses and expand port facilities in line with the growth of the Maldives' maritime transport and logistics sector.

The company said the new infrastructure will improve cargo handling and unloading operations and support the relocation of the commercial port to Thilafushi by 11 November 2027.

The relocation project is intended to provide a long-term solution to congestion at the existing commercial port.

Part of the project was awarded to Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) on the first day of last month. MTCC is responsible for constructing a 100-metre domestic key wall and developing an area covering three hectares.

Upon completion, the Thilafushi Commercial Port will include more than 1,000 metres of international key wall and more than 2,000 metres of key wall serving vessels operating through the North Harbour and South West Harbour.

MPL said limited space remains the main challenge in operating the current commercial port in Malé. According to the company, the Thilafushi port site is around 10 times larger than the existing commercial port area in Malé and will provide sufficient capacity for future operations.

The company also noted that some container vessels are too large to pass beneath the Sinamalé Bridge and must currently be loaded and unloaded at the outer anchorage, making operations more time-consuming and costly.

MPL said the international key wall at Thilafushi will be three times longer than the existing key wall at the Malé Commercial Port by October 2027. Once operational, container vessel operations currently carried out at the outer anchorage are expected to end.

At present, cargo vessels spend about seven days at the Malé Commercial Port to complete loading and unloading operations. MPL said the new port is expected to reduce the turnaround time to around two days, benefiting importers and shipping companies.

CHEC was also awarded the first phase of the Thilafushi Commercial Port project in February last year. That agreement covered the design and survey work for the project.

In his presidential address, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu stated that the commercial port in Malé will be relocated to Thilafushi from 11 November next year.