(Business in Cameroon) - Société d’exploitation des parcs à bois du Cameroun (SEPC) has announced that in the month of October 2014, the concessionaire of Douala port, off-loaded 122,562 m³ of wood (91,196 logs and 31,366 m³ of lumber) which brings to 246,196 m³ of logs and 82,550 m³ of lumber, the total quantity of wood delivered between August and October 2014.

This performance, which, according to the SEPC, has helped to decongest Douala’s lumber yard, was made possible thanks to the recent acquisition of new handling equipment to strengthen the concessionaire’s operational capacity. The delivery included a Volvo loader, a cargo handling engine able to manage up to 12 tonnes and a Speed Appro barge – a kind of flat-bottomed, non-motorised boat generally used in convoys and pushed on wide rivers and canals. It can transport up to 400 tonnes of cargo.

Totalling 382 million FCFA, these investments for 2014, will reach “over 2 billion FCFA before the end of the year,” maintained the company thanks to the acquisition of a Treillis ship-to-shore crane. SEPC heads also appear to be optimistic about the prospect of ending the congestion at the Doula port’s lumber yard once and for all after nine years of blockage.

“We’re going to maintain our current performance. I also have to say that talks between industry operators and the SEPBC enabled us to solidify and unite our efforts to improve our lumber terminal’s performance. We’re now reaching processing peaks of around 4,700 m3 per day. We plan to reach 6,000 m3 of wood moved daily,” stated Eric Gerbet, the Managing Director of SEPBC.