France To Help Rebuild Lebanon’s Beirut Port Destroyed in Deadly Blast
Lebanon wants to rebuild the Beirut Port, destroyed by an ammonium nitrate explosion on August 4, 2020.
France presented a proposal for the port’s reconstruction and reorganisation at the recent conference in Beirut.
The plan discusses repairing the port infrastructure, designing its layout for efficient traffic flow, and using solar power for port operations.
However, the plan doesn’t mention rebuilding the grain silos that were the most impacted when the blast happened.
Artelia and Egis are French Engineering firms that developed the proposal with funding from the French government.
Ali Hamie, Lebanon’s transport and public works minister, said the plan was accepted, and the port revenue would finance the investments.
Restoring the state infrastructure devastated in the blast would cost $60 to $80 million.
The cost increases to $140 million when private companies’ infrastructure destroyed in the explosion is also considered.
Beirut Port’s Director General, Omar Itani, highlighted many positive changes since the disaster, including a rise in revenue to $150 million in 2023 from just $9 million in 2020.
President of France Emmanuel Macron visited Lebanon two days after the blast and promised financial aid for the people.
This week, French Ambassador to Lebanon Herve Magro said the French government has prioritised the port issue, a key pillar in its cooperation with Lebanon.
In 2021 Germany also proposed rebuilding the Beirut Port and redeveloping over 100 hectares of surrounding land.