On 7 July 2010, the President of the Republic, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, and the trade delegation that accompanied him to Cape Verde to take part in the commemorations of the 35^th anniversary of the Independence of that Country visited the Port of Praia Regeneration and Expansion project, which is being undertaken by a Somague Engenharia/MSF Consortium.

A detailed presentation of this Project and of the extensive Programme for the Regeneration and Expansion of Cape Verde Ports was given by the Managing Director of ENAPOR, Franklin Spencer (it is to be recalled that the new Port of Sal Rei, on the island of Boavista, will also be built by the Somague Engenharia/MSF Consortium and is funded by the same credit line, the current berthing pier having been built by Somague in 1994).

The visit was accompanied by the Minister of Finance of Cape Verde, Cristina Duarte. Representatives of Somague present included the Chairman of the Board of Directors, José Luís Machado do Vale, and the Head of Institutional Relations, José Paulo Assunção, as well as the Managing Director of CVC, the Somague subsidiary in Cape Verde and subcontractor in this project, José Domingos.

Stage 1 of the Port of Praia, which received €50 million in funding from MCA (Millennium Challenge Account) and the Portuguese State, involves the regeneration of Quay 2, the construction of the Cargo Village and that of the road between the port, the Cargo Village and Praia ring road. It started in September 2008 and will be concluded in September 2010.

Stage 2 of this project, which will receive €72 million in funding exclusively from the Portuguese State, will include the regeneration and expansion of Quay 1 by 233 m, a container park on a sea embankment, the construction of a protective breakwater, dredging to a depth of 12 meters to enable ships to berth, and the container park complex, including an access road, infrastructure and control building. This project, the contract for which will be signed shortly, will start in August 2010 and be concluded in February 2013 and will also be undertaken by the Somague Engenharia/MSF consortium.

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