Originally a specialised mining facility, Traymore NV Moengo Port has been making the most of its strategic location to diversify its capabilities and position itself as a multi-purpose cargo and fuel hub. CEO Eugene Profijt explained more to Imogen Ward.
Traymore NV Moengo Port (Traymore) has worked hard to establish itself as a multi-disciplinary port, and with growing interest from a range of sectors, it is well positioned to embrace new opportunities and support the industries driving Suriname’s development.
“We have an abundance of storage capacity and the facilities to support a wide range of export and import activities,” explained CEO Eugene Profijt. “Although we are not an oil and gas company, the industry is expanding rapidly in Suriname, and we are ready to store the pipes and materials needed to support its continued growth.”
Port-wide investment
Originally operating under Suralco (the Suriname subsidiary of Alcoa), for over three-quarters of a century, the Port spent its time producing and exporting bauxite through established infrastructure.
This chapter came to an end in 1994, when the company moved its operations elsewhere and sold the site to a private company, which demolished a large portion of the Port’s infrastructure for scrap metal – leaving it redundant and unused.
That all changed in 2004, when Traymore NV entered the scene. The company saw the Port’s true potential and dedicated several years to rebuilding, upgrading and certifying the site’s marine infrastructure, and surrounding roads, before reopening it in 2008.
From then on, the Port left its Bauxite roots behind, transforming into a multi-use cargo and fuel hub. The man responsible for realising this vision was Mr Profijt.
At the time of purchase, Mr Profijt also took a chance on an industry that was still finding its legs. Although commercial onshore oil production began in Suriname in the 1980s, the industry did not gain significant traction until much more recently.
“When the Port first reopened, there was no real demand from the oil and gas sector,” said Mr Profijt. “Despite that, we decided to take a chance on the industry, investing in core infrastructure. Now, almost 20 years later, everyone is running and jumping to get involved.”
As Suriname’s offshore oil industry continues to take shape, Traymore is well positioned to support the companies entering the market and getting their operations underway. With the capacity to import and store key pipelines, equipment and other materials, the Port can provide an essential link in the supply chain, helping businesses bring the resources they need into the country and onwards to their offshore operations.
Fuel also accounts for a significant proportion of Traymore’s operations, thanks to a storage capacity of 40,000 barrels, having invested in its tanks well before Suriname’s oil and gas industry found its feet. This early investment has given Traymore a unique position in the region, with no other company currently able to offer the same capacity.
Future-proofing the port
Having already invested so heavily into the site, the Port is nowhere near finished. One important update currently on the cards is the installation of solar panels, further strengthening its commitment to responsible site management and the mitigation of carbon emissions. While these measures demonstrate the Port’s focus on operating more sustainably, its ambitions extend beyond environmental improvements, with plans also underway to increase the site’s capacity.
The Port hopes to extend its wharf, making the area longer and allowing two vessels to be processed simultaneously (one dedicated to fuel, the other to cargo). This would provide greater flexibility for customers while creating additional capacity to support the growing demand for efficient regional trade.
“Depending on demand, we would also love to extend this investment by expanding the cargo-dedicated area of the wharf, to allow for the handling of multiple ships,” revealed Mr Profijt. “Being half an hour away from the border of French Guiana – and with 85 per cent of what they use imported – we see huge potential to collaborate and help transport the goods and resources they need, while further establishing the Port as a key regional logistics hub.”
Given that French Guiana currently relies on its border and interior rivers for transporting and importing goods, and with the latter suffering from climate vulnerability and environmental degradation, Traymore hopes that an agreement can be created to allow for a regular ferry service between Suriname and French Guiana. This would provide an alternative and potentially more resilient route for transporting goods, while strengthening connectivity between the two neighbouring territories and opening up further opportunities for regional trade and collaboration.
Traymore also hopes to capitalise on its large fuel storage capacity, given that all the fuel companies are in the city of Paramaribo.
“Paramaribo and Moengo are separated by around 75 kilometres of road, so it would be far safer and cheaper for companies to purchase fuel locally,” shared Mr Profijt. “In the coming months, we are going to focus our efforts on supplying that fuel. This is more vital than ever, especially as fuel prices continue to skyrocket.”
Looking ahead, Traymore intends to continue building its presence among businesses in the east, with the aim of attracting more export operations to the Port and supporting the region’s growing commercial activity.
“We want to establish our place in the market,” said Mr Profijt, in conclusion. “We are not looking to compete with the ports in Paramaribo. We are in the east, and we want to strengthen our footprint here.
“Suriname is rich in wood, granite and so many other materials, and there is no reason for companies to transport their containers all the way to the city when they can bring them to us instead. We can provide a more direct route and get those goods to their final destination.”