Germans propose detailed plan to rebuild Port of Beirut
A view of the Port of Beirut after the explosion of 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate that killed 200 people, injured 5,000 and left over 250,000 people homeless.
© REUTERS / Mohamed Azakir
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
A team of German engineers presented this Friday, April 9 in Beirut, a detailed plan for the reconstruction and development of the port of the Lebanese capital destroyed, on August 4, 2020, by the explosion of 2,700 tons of stored ammonium nitrate in a shed without precautionary measures.
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With our correspondent in Beirut,
Paul Khalifeh
The German project, which will cost between 5 and 15 billion dollars, when all stages are completed, is ambitious.
It provides for the reconstruction of the port of Beirut on an area of 126 hectares, according to modern standards based on digitization and respect for the environment.
The German team, made up of representatives from an engineering office and the port of Hamburg, presented their plan at a press conference on Friday, in the presence of the German ambassador in Beirut and the governor of Lebanese capital.
A 20-year project
The reconstruction of the port will significantly increase its capacity and activity to put it back on the regional map.
The German project, which will run for 20 years, also provides for the rehabilitation and renovation of neighboring traditional neighborhoods, hard hit by the double explosion.
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A model neighborhood respecting environmental standards and an artificial sandy beach will be created on a backfilled area.
The French, Chinese and Turks have expressed an interest in participating in the reconstruction of the port of Beirut, but the Germans are the only ones to have proposed a detailed project.
However, many obstacles remain to be ironed out before this plan is implemented, which needs the green light from the Lebanese government.
A government still expected eight months after
the tragedy of August 4, 2020.
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