Established by law in 1998, the Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA) is the port authority responsible for Port Louis. The MPA is a state-owned corporation designated as the sole national ports authority with responsibility for regulating and controlling the port sector and providing marine services. The MPA provides and improves port infrastructure, regulates all matters related to the ports, provides for the welfare of port employees, enters into concession contracts for port and cargo-handling services, promotes the use and development of the ports, licenses and regulates port and marine services, and implements the port master plans.

In 2008, Port Louis received over 2000 vessel calls, dominated by container vessels (543) fishing vessels (479), and general bulk vessels (193). In 2008, Port Louis handled 6.3 million tons of cargo, including 5.1 million tons of imports and 1.2 million tons of exports. Port Louis handled 2.8 million tons of containerized cargo in 2008, including 2.3 million tons of imports and 501 thousand tons of exports. This included 225.5 thousand TEUs of imported TEUs and 109.4 thousand exported TEUs of containerized cargo.

In 2008, Port Louis handled almost two million tons of dry bulk cargoes that included cement, coal, fertilizers, maize, soya bean meal, sugar, wheat, and aggregates. Imports of 1.6 million tons dominated the dry bulk traffic. Port Louis handled 1.4 million tons of liquid bulk, importing 1.1 million tons that included bitumen, black oil, bunker, edible oil, liquefied petroleum gas, liquid ammonia, molasses, tallow, and white oil. General cargo through Port Louis, excluding fish, totaled 31.8 thousand tons (21 thousand tons of imports) and included bagged cargo, unitized breakbulk, and general cargo. Port Louis imported 113 thousand tons of fish for the local market and transshipments and exported 434 tons.

Port Louis’ Terminal I contains a total of 1180 meters of quay with six berthing positions at depths from 3 to 12.2 meters. Quay A handles black oil, edible oils, molasses, general cargo, wheat, base, soya bean meal, inter-island trade, and passengers. The three fishing quays have alongside depths from three to 9.5 meters, while the three cargo-handling quays are nine and 12.2 meters in depth.

Port Louis’ Terminal II contains a total of 986 meters of quays with six berthing positions. The Mauritius Freeport Development berth handles fish and has a depth of 9 meters. Three cargo-handling berths have alongside depths of 12.2 meters and handle general cargo, containers, black and white oil, fertilizers, tallow, cement, coal, liquefied petroleum gas, and bitumen. Terminal II contains storage facilities with capacity for 4.5 thousand tons of tallow and one thousand tons of caustic soda.

The Bulk Sugar Terminal at Port Louis’ Terminal II is 198 meters long with alongside depth of 12 meters, and it handles bulk sugar and black oil. The Mauritius Sugar Terminal Corporation operates a dedicated terminal in Port Louis for loading bulk sugar at a quay of 198 meters for vessels with up to 11 meters draft. The terminal has capacity to store 175 thousand tons of cargo in two storage sheds, and it can load sugar at a rate of 1450 tons per hour.

Port Louis’ Terminal III has two quays, each 280 meters long with alongside depth of 14 meters. They handle containers and bulk ethanol. Terminal III includes 13.5 hectares of storage area and 288 reefer points as well as on-quay bunkering facilities. The terminal has capacity to handle 550 thousand TEUs per year.

Taylor Smith Group operates Port Louis’ private dry dock and ship repair facilities. Located at Terminal I, the facility can accommodate vessels to 100 meters long. A second facility at Terminal II is operated by Chantier Naval de l’Ocean Indien Ltd. has a 150-meter dry dock and a ship construction and repair workshop.

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