[dropcap]B[/dropcap]ollore Logistics says it has started operations at its new logistics hub in Gabon aimed at boosting timber industry in the country.
Located in Lastourville, the new logistics platform will store, manage and carry processed wood in containers from the production sites in the forest to the Owendo container terminal (OCT), 557 km away.
With an area of 14,000 m², the hub will be able to handle 4,500 TEUs per year during the start-up phase.
“The new hub in Lastourville has a number of advantages for all the players in the timber industry. The opening of a customs office in 2020 will round out our existing services, making it possible to cut transit times for significant gains in productivity and substantial reductions in cost.” says Jean-François Ollivier, Managing Director of Bolloré Transport & Logistics in Gabon.
To further improve the efficiency of the new site, Bolloré Logistics plans to set up a central office offering administrative and customs services in early 2020. The containers will then be cleared through customs directly in Lastourville instead of Libreville.
As a result, the time required for operations and shipment, including packing the wood into containers, shipping it to the port and completing loading formalities, should fall by 15 days, bringing gains in productivity of between 15 and 20 %.
“With the new logistics hub in Gabon,we seek to address the difficulties encountered in shipping their processed timber by road, and to limit transhipments between the production sites and container terminal,” said Mr Ollivier.