BEIRUT, April 15 (Xinhua) -- Director General of Beirut Port Bassem al-Kaissi said Beirut port needs around 350 million U.S. dollars to restore the facility's full operations after the blasts that destroyed the port on Aug. 4, 2020.
"We need to invest in building a new quay, new warehouses, four buildings, a fire-fighting department in addition to expanding the electrical power station," al-Kaissi told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.
Al-Kaissi explained that the blasts destroyed all warehouses, the fire department and maintenance buildings, the administration buildings and 70 percent of contractors' cranes while most container cranes need to be repaired.
Two huge explosions rocked Beirut's port on Aug. 4 of last year, killing at least 200 people, while injuring around 6,000 others and destroying a big part of the city.
Hundreds of buildings in the port's surrounding areas are at risk of collapse.
Also, local media reports circulated over the past days about the danger of collapse of grains silos at the port, after being severely damaged by the explosions.
Al-Kaissi clarified that silos will only be demolished by a decision from the ministry of economy and trade. "This decision is currently under evaluation," he said.
Al-Kaissi noted that silos contain tons of grains which are no longer safe for consumption.
However, the explosions did not have an impact on food security in the country as the port, 10 days after the blasts, started unloading wheat from ships directly to trucks and then to mills, he said.
The port's director said that German and French companies offered, over the past few days, plans to develop the port.
However, al-Kaissi noted that such plans require political stability and a new cabinet to restore the confidence of the international community and attract foreign investors to the country.
Representatives of German companies visited Lebanon earlier this month and offered a project worth 5 to 15 billion U.S. dollars for the reconstruction of Beirut's port.
On the other hand, French container shipping group CMA CGM offered less than a week ago a plan for the reconstruction of damaged docks and warehouses, along with port expansion and digitalization, at a total cost estimated at 400 to 600 million U.S. dollars. Enditem
