YAOUNDE, Sept. 2 -- A Chinese-French consortium have won the concession to operate the 1.4 million teu Kribi container terminal in Cameroon.

In a recent interview with Xinhua, Xu Jiang Hua, regional manager for central Africa of China Harbour Engineering Company said the consortium is made of two French companies, CMA CGM and Bollore Africa Logistics, and China Harbour.

Xu said the first phase of Kribi terminal project, constructed by China Harbour, has been completed in 2014 at a contract value of near 500 million U.S. dollars, and construction of the second phase is to start soon with a contract value of over 700 million dollars.

The first phase is composed of a 700 meter length wharf and a 32 hectare platform made for 16 meters draught. A first 350 meter length wharf will be operational within a few months.

"The long-term vision is that the terminal will be expanded to the biggest deepwater port in the region by 2040 with 24 berths and a cargo handling capacity of over 100 million tonnes," Xu said.

Vessels up to 8,000 teu capacity would be able to call the container terminal. Kribi is expected to become a regional hub for the African Atlantic coast, from Senegal to Gabon.

"China Harbour and its partners will make Kribi container terminal an international terminal which will bring dynamism to the Cameroonian economy, and create more jobs," Xu said.

Kribi is located around 120 kilometers south of Cameroon's main existing port, Douala, known as the Douala International Terminal, which is run jointly by Bollore Africa Logistics and APM Terminals.

Kribi is a strategic location to serve the African Atlantic coast and inland countries.

Xu said China Harbour expects a successful cooperation with its French partners in the project, so as to set an example of China-West cooperation for the benefits of African counries.