Mauritius Cabinet Gives Nod to $1B Port Louis Container Terminal Upgrade
On 29 May 2026, the Cabinet of the Government of Mauritius examined the plan to upgrade the Port Louis Container Terminal in partnership with India. The landmark decision comes after the state visit of Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam to India in September 2025, when the development of the port was discussed as a flagship cooperation project between Mauritius and India.
The Cargo Handling Corporation of Mauritius operates the Container Terminal and released its updated Master Plan in July 2025, positioning Port Louis as a green and smart port capable of performing transhipment along the Cape Route.
In the context of elaborating the Vision 2050 national development plan of Mauritius, the Minister of Economic Planning, Jyoti Jeetun, declared that the #BlueEconomy would be the next economic pillar. During a consultative workshop, the Minister of Blue Economy, Arvin Boolell, echoed his colleague by stating that the seaport will be the marquee project of the Blue Economy.
“As the star and key of the Indian Ocean, the destiny of Mauritius is closely associated with its geostrategic location along one of the major SLOC connecting dynamic Asia with emerging Africa.”
GBC Chair Aaron Poon
The Plan involves building an Island Container Terminal with a 1200-m wharf, capable of simultaneously docking two of the ultra-large container carriers (ULCC). The seabed will be dug sufficiently deep to accommodate such large ships. The estimated cost is about USD one billion, and the project will be undertaken in phases and last for nearly a decade.
The current terminal is fast approaching its capacity of one million TEU per annum. For the last three financial years, the throughput increased substantially from 602,779, 680,538, and 719,782 TEU. The sustained growth can be explained by the tension in the Middle East region, forcing many shipping lines to reroute from the Suez Route to the Cape Route via Mauritius. By some estimates, the throughput could reach 5 million TEU by 2030 if Port Louis could reduce turnaround times and improve its score on the Container Port Performance Index (CPPI).
Previously, an interministerial committee recommended a joint venture with the largest shipping lines, such as Maersk and MSC. However, the control of the strategic port must remain in the hands of the Government of Mauritius.
The employee unions expressed concerns about job uncertainty due to the proposed automation of the terminal. Gerard Bertrand, spokesperson of the Port Louis Maritime Association (PLMA) has come forward to request more consultations among stakeholders.