Very good post, IMO Bollore Group could be the candidate of choice for SDL solution regading Rail, Port and Haulage services.
The french Bollore group Logistics has a very strong presence in Africa, largely due to the influence of french activities in the region.
Some infos on Bollore group:
Founded in 1822, the Bolloré Group is one of the 500 largest companies in the world. It has chosen to strategically diversify over the last twenty-five years in order to obtain a better risk distribution.
Listed on the Paris Stock Exchange, the majority interest of the Group's stock is always controlled by the Bolloré family. This stable majority control of its capital allows the Group to develop a long-term investment policy.
Thanks to a diversification strategy based on innovation and on international development, it now holds strong positions in all its activities around three business lines, Transportation and Logistics, Communication and Media, Electricity Storage and solutions.
In addition its activities, the Group manages a number of financial assets including plantations and financial investments.
In 2012:
55,555 employees world-wide Turnover: 10,186 million euros Net income: 804 million euros Shareholders' equity: 7,260 million euros
Now in Africa, they have "Bolloré Africa Logistics"
Haulage Over-gauge parcels Shipping Air Rail Barging Supply chain management and warehousing Customs formalities Shipping agency Port handling Industrial project logistics Ship repair Travel agency
Their services could fit for SDL Rail, Port and Haulage services (re. MOUs with Legend, Core Mining, EQX, etc..), so they have better experience than Chinese in Africa, IMO
And it makes sense to engage European groups to diversify from chinese business, to avoid monopoly ..
What Bollore propose for their services:
Haulage The specialist in door-to-door logistics, Bolloré Africa Logistics offers unique knowhow in the management of corridors and ensures local deliveries and cross-border transport from Conakry to Mombasa and from Port Sudan to Cape Town.
Interconnected with all the other forms of transport - sea, air, rail and inland waterway - road haulage is central to our multimodal logistics solutions in Africa. It offers the finest-grained capability for delivering merchandise to final destinations anywhere in the continent.
With our proven expertise in the management of transit corridors and customs clearance, we optimise your long-distance transport times. This is a unique knowhow, based on the unrivalled density of our network’s coverage of the continent.
By delivering fast, safe and efficient answers in every circumstance, we are contributing to opening up the African hinterland and facilitating the circulation of raw materials, consumer goods and the capital goods that are vital to the economic development and daily life of African populations.
Three good reasons to choose us
Our own fleet of 6,000 vehicles supported by preferential agreements with reliable local hauliers. Our own workshops where we take care of fleet maintenance and check the technical quality of the equipment used by our sub-contractors. Our long-distance fleet with GPS tracking.
Rail Our multimodal strategy linking container terminals to final destinations, via road, rail and inland waterway, is a unique asset. Bolloré Africa Logistics makes extensive use of Africa’s rail track to ship merchandise. As a rail operator with public-private sector partnerships in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso, we also have rail transport knowhow that strengthens our integrated supply chain and contributes to opening up the hinterland countries and developing regional integration.
Bolloré Africa Logistics manages two rail companies in Africa. Since 1995, we have been operating the 1,260 km Sitarail network that links Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso and, since 1999, the 1,000km Camrail rail network in Cameroon.
Our goal is to raise the standards of the railways that we operate above African standards. This is why, in partnership with the governments of the countries concerned, banks and international funding organisations, we are investing in the modernization and upkeep of the infrastructures, equipment and rolling stock. Since we took over the management of the rail companies they have recaptured significant market share in freight transport. We have introduced a programme to renovate stations and improve passenger service in Cameroon. The companies Sitarail and Camrail have also introduced a quality management system meeting international standards with the aim of obtaining ISO 9001 and IRIS certification.
Every year, we carry 1.7 million MT of merchandise and 1.5 million passengers in Cameroon, as well as 900,000 MT of merchandise and over 300,000 passengers in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso.
We offer you a complete range of specialised wagons: platform wagons for dry or refrigerated containers; covered wagons for conventional freight (sawed timber, cotton, construction materials, bagged goods, etc.); by bulk tanker wagons for fuel and other fluids; and high-sided one wagons for dry bulk.
A vector for growth, rail transport plays a primordial economic and social role in Africa. Opening access to cities, hinterland zones and enclosed countries, it provides a link between the populations in the remotest inland zones and the coastal urban centres. We contribute to the wellbeing of local populations by participating in the opening of health centres, building schools and ensuring that our employees and their families have access to social protection. We are committed to an efficient, recognized QHSE policy.
Port handling Our dedicated teams, organized to handle different types of merchandise, bring you their experience and the resources that are indispensable for safe, efficient, handling, both in stevedoring and on-land movement of containers and merchandise.
We have the capacity to take care of your handling operations, irrespective of the type of merchandise, whether containerized or conventional: loading and unloading of containers and bulk, dedicated storage, warehousing, empty and full container transfers, stuffing and bagging.
Bolloré Africa Logistics, the leading port operator in Africa
The Bolloré group is represented in Africa by its Bolloré Africa Logistics subsidiary, leader in the management of the continent’s container terminals. Bolloré Africa Logistics ensures that its customers enjoy the best possible offerings by developing high-quality public-private sector partnerships capable of addressing international standards.
With its port expertise acquired over the years, Bolloré Africa Logistics now has unique experience. The port authorities can be sure that they are supported by a reliable, professional, long-term partnership.
Bolloré Africa Logistics invests 300 million euros each year to develop and enhance the infrastructures under its responsibility, building complete transhipment platforms for its customers: shipowners, importer and exporters. Ports are the gateways to the African economies and provide the dynamic for the development of the continent, while opening access to the landlocked hinterland countries.
Bolloré Africa Logistics has roots in Africa that go back nearly a century and, with its unrivalled integrated logistics network, has accompanied the economic and social development of the continent.
Our container terminals:
Port of Abidjan, Ivory Coast Port of Bangui, Central African Republic Port of Conakry, Guinea Port of Cotonou, Benin Port of Douala, Cameroon Port of Freetown, Sierra Leone Port of Lagos, Nigeria Port of Libreville, Gabon Port of Lomé, Togo Port of Moroni, Union of the Comoros Port of Pointe-Noire, Congo Port of Tema, Ghana
MOUs with Sundance for Rail, Port and Haulage service
May 2011 : Sundance and Legend agree to share rail access in Cameroon
Sundance Resources has inked an agreement to allow Legend Mining access to its planned rail and port infrastructure, as part of its Mbalam Iron Ore Project, in Cameroon and Congo in West Africa.
The letter of intent outlines that the two Australian-based companies with iron ore assets in Camerron will together examine opportunities for how Sundance's proposed infrastructure may offer rail and port haulage to Legend's Ngovoyang Project.
Both Sundance's Mbalam Project and Legend's Nogovoyang project are located in the southern region of the Republic of Cameroon.
The proposed rail route being developed by Sundance passes in close proximity to the southern boundary of the Nogovoyang Project.
Mark Wilson, managing director of Legend Mining said," "Signing this agreement enables Legend to focus on our exploration activities with confidence in knowing that there is a LOI providing a transport option for our ore to port."
Giulio Casello, CEO and managing director of Sundance said that as a first-mover in this emerging world-class iron ore region, the company viewed it as very important to work in a spirit of co-operation with neighbouring resources companies for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders including the government and people of Cameroon.
"We believe it makes a lot of sense for our two Australian-listed companies that operate near each other in West Africa to demonstrate our mutual belief and to endorse co-operation in order to bring to fruition the development of a new world class iron ore region.
"We think that the long term potential of this region could reach up to 100 million tonnes per year or more but for this to be achieved, the fundamental requirement will be the access to dedicated, heavy haulage infrastructure for the export of iron ore."
The LoI, although non-binding is another step in Sundance's progression of its plans for the development of its Mbalam Project following the completion of the Definitive Feasibility Study in March 2011.
Construction of Sundance's 510km railway from Mbarga to the Cameroon coast is scheduled to start later this year, pending approvals and securing of project finance.
March, 2012 : Sundance Resources Signs MoU On Co-Operation For Iron Ore Infrastructure With Core Mining
Sundance, Core Mining may share rail, port infrastructure The West Australian , March 2, 2012
Sundance Resources shares were firmer after the West Africa-focused iron ore explorer said it had signed an infrastructure agreement with Core Mining, a private company backed by Glencore and Severstal.
Core owns an iron ore project 65km west of Sundance's Nabeba deposit in the Republic of Congo.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two parties will discuss how Core might access Sundance's proposed rail line and port export terminal by way of a direct investment or a haulage services agreement.
Sundance chairman George Jones said the collaboration was further evidence of the commitment of both companies to develop a new world class iron ore region in central West Africa.
"It makes a lot of sense for Sundance and Core to work together given we operate near each other and both have projects with high-quality iron ore assets," he said.
"Once in production, there is the potential to produce up to 70mtpa of direct shipping ore alone."
Mr Jones said he believed the region could produce as much as 100mtpa provided there was access to dedicated heavy haulage infrastructure.
Sundance is initially proposing a 10-year, 35mtpa direct shipping ore operation for its Mbalam/Nabeba project.
Core says it is targeting a project of similar size and capacity to Mbalam/Nabeba with its nearby Avima project.
March 2012 : Sundance strikes another rail sharing deal
Sundance, Equatorial sign iron ore transport MoU for AfricaMelbourne (Platts), 20 Mar2012
AFRICAN-focussed iron ore explorers Sundance Resources and Equatorial Resources are exploring the potential to share rail infrastructure.
Sundance's Mbalam/Nabeba iron ore project straddles the republics of Cameroon and Congo.
Equatorial's Badondo iron project is in the north-west of Congo, approximately 90km south west of Sundance's Nabeba deposit.
The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding under which they will examine how Equatorial could invest in Sundance's rail and port infrastructure, or strike a haulage agreement with Sundance.
Sundance plans to construct a rail link to an export terminal in Cameroon, which it will also build.
Sundance entered a similar infrastructure sharing agreement with a private West African company earlier in March.
Iron Ore Review – Where to for the West African juniors? (Independent Research , Feb 2014)
SDL
The Sundance project has sufficient high grade DSO to make the economics of the rail work. The project is being watched closely as a number of other mainly magnetite projects are waiting for development opportunities once a transport link is being put into place.
Projects such as Nkout will benefit from the rail and should IMIC be successful in achieving a strategic partner for the project could contribute towards rail development – below are the scenarios put forward in Afferro’s PEA on the project.
In short, shared SDL's Rail, Port and Haulage services could benefit the following players in the region:
