Investment in storage, port capacity, onward transport and more efficient border procedures must accompany the expansion of the Beira-Feruka pipeline if regional markets are to benefit, speakers at the Beira Corridor Forum said.
The need to coordinate infrastructure development and improve fuel distribution across southern Africa was highlighted at the forum in Livingstone, Zambia, on October 27, according to a statement from organiser Companhia do Pipeline Moçambique-Zimbabwe (CPMZ).
Dependable fuel supplies were essential to Zambia’s mining, agriculture, manufacturing and transport sectors, said Ephraim Kabunda Munshifwa, permanent secretary for energy at Zambia’s Ministry of Energy.
“As a land-linked country, Zambia depends on efficient and diversified connections to regional seaports. A stronger Beira Corridor can widen our fuel supply options, improve reliability and support the competitiveness of our industries,” he said.
“However, increased pipeline capacity must be complemented by coordinated investment in storage, transport infrastructure and efficient border procedures to ensure that the benefits reach the businesses and communities that depend on these supplies.”
Lower logistics costs, shorter waiting times and reliable services would determine the corridor’s competitiveness, said Chinguane Mabote, secretary of state at Mozambique’s Ministry of Transport and Logistics.
Pipeline investment needed to be matched by improvements in port, storage and distribution capacity, supported by public-private partnerships and closer coordination between neighbouring countries, he said.
The discussions come as CPMZ advances its previously announced expansion of the Beira-Feruka pipeline. Launched in September, the project will increase annual transport capacity from three million to five million cubic metres by December 2027 through two additional pumping stations.
The expansion is being coordinated with the planned upgrade of the Petrozim Line between Feruka and Harare, according to CPMZ.
Harare was envisaged as a fuel distribution hub serving Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo, said CPMZ board member and managing director Patrick Dias da Cunha.
“Our priority is to translate these investments into practical benefits for the economies and communities that depend on reliable fuel supply,” he said.
Fuel demand within the Beira Supply Zone was projected to rise by approximately 35%, equivalent to an additional four million cubic metres over the next decade, according to S&P Global Energy projections presented by vice-president Daniel Evans.
Stronger engagement with major industrial customers and investment in complementary logistics facilities were needed to turn corridor development into economic opportunities, said Osam Iyahen of Africa Finance Corporation.
