Stevedoring & cargo handling

Stevedoring is MCTC’s core business. At berths 5, 6 and 7 of the Port of Matadi, our teams load and discharge vessels: full and empty containers, bulk and general cargo. Two mobile harbour cranes, delivered in December 2024, perform the ship-to-shore moves. On the ground, 4 reach stackers, 2 empty container handlers and 12 terminal tractors with trailers carry out the transfer between the quay and the yard.

A complete handling service covers the loading, discharge, shifting and stacking of containers within the terminal, using specialised equipment and in compliance with safety and operating standards. Our services include: vessel loading and discharge, container shifting and repositioning, optimised stacking with our harbour cranes, quality control and operational safety, compliance with international standards and state-of-the-art specialised equipment.

Vessel operations run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week [TO BE CONFIRMED], under the supervision of a dedicated vessel supervisor. Every call is governed by an operations plan agreed with the ship’s agent before berthing: discharge and loading sequence, equipment allocation, productivity windows.

Safety frames every move: cordoned working areas, mandatory personal protective equipment, lifting procedures in line with MSC/TIL group standards. Performance is measured continuously — crane rate, port stay, berth occupancy — and reported back to the shipping lines.

With the commissioning of the new 350 m piled quay in 2027, terminal capacity will rise to 400,000 TEU per year.