Libya taps MSC to expand its largest port: Shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Qatar-based Maha Capital Partners (MCP) are set to plug in up to USD 2.7 bn to modernize and expand the Misurata Freezone Port (MFP), as part of a public–private partnership with the Libyan government. No timeline for the development has been disclosed.

The expansion is expected to generate USD 500 mn in revenue annually — raising the facility’s annual capacity to4 mn TEUs. In the project’s first phase, 1.5 mn TEUs of capacity are expected to be added, with up to 2.5 mn TEUs of capacity to follow in the project’s second phase. The port handled some 700k TEUs in 2025.

On the port: Misrata’s port remains the country’s largest and busiest commercial seaport, spanning 190 hectares. The port was among the top 20 most improved ports in terms of efficiency, according to the World Bank and S&P Global’s annual Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2024 (pdf). The facility also handles six mn tons of cargo per year and comprises 60 hectares of open storage, 67.5k sqm of storage facilities, and a 40k-ton grain silo.

Why this matters:-

The expansion signals Libya’s readiness to compete directly with its Mediterranean peers to capture bigger transshipment volumes. The port’s connectivity to other trade centers has been highlighted as key to its competitive edge, as it is well positioned between the cities of Tripoli and Benghazi — and is also close to ports in Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. The port is also well-suited to connecting shippers with the African interior since the launch of Clarion Lines’ service linking to Nigeria last December.

Diversifying from oil into transhipment: Expanding transhipment prospects is one way Tripoli can diversify its economy away from hydrocarbons, as Misurata Port handles 60% of Libya’s non-oil trade volume.

Our take-

The agreement could be seen in light of MSC’s ramping up of its role as a port operator, as part of its play to beat competition by amassing a wider network of direct port calls, contrasting with the Gemini alliance’s “hub and spoke” consolidation model. Obtaining a foothold in Libya gives MSC and its partners more direct call and routing options in the central Mediterranean without relying on the Gemini-type hubs.

The expansion would also help Libya’s plans to capture bigger flows of trade from landlocked West African nations, which rely on neighboring countries’ seaports for global trade. Egypt has been a key part of these plans, collaborating with Libya on the new Al Jawf Dry Port in southwest Libya and developing a road link connecting Libya to Chad and Niger. Bolstering Misurata Port could strengthen a key link in the chain of connecting North African ports to landlocked Chad and Niger.

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