DP World aims to help develop the Maputo Corridor as the most cost-effective gateway for imports and exports into Gauteng, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Zimbabwe and Swaziland, as well as the Mozambican market through partnerships with shippers and logistics companies.
“Having made the necessary investment in the infrastructure of the container terminal our focus is now on growth, and that has to be achieved through win-win relationships,” Tejas Nataraj, chief executive officer of DP World Mozambique told FTW. DP World has completed the first phase of the modernisation of the container berth by investing US$80 million to increase capacity from 100 000 TEUs a year to 300 000.
“What this means is that Maputo is now equipped with a first-world container terminal. “These investments are already providing customers with superior service. There is zero vessel waiting time for berthing, and container trucks are being turned around in 19 minutes,” he says.
Greater efficiencies reduce the cost of running vessels, road trucks and railway rolling stock as they are kept working rather than standing idle. He says it costs around $15 000 a day to operate one of the container vessels calling on Maputo. Vessels provide the best return on investment when they are moving, which means that shipping lines give preference to the more efficient ports. More lines will start calling on Maputo when they realise the advantages, believes Nataraj.
A new rail siding within the terminal is starting to attract traffic. “DP World Maputo together with partner shipping lines have run the first rail movement of containers from Maputo to City Deep (Johannesburg) and then from City Deep to Maputo. Rail has shown that it can help overcome delays due to congestion on the main road between Gauteng and Nelspruit.
“It has now been proved that Maputo is able to discharge containers directly from vessel onto awaiting trains, which reduces the transit time. “As a result we are also starting to see freight from Zimbabwe and Swaziland flowing on rail,” he says. Investment in the port also enables importers of goods bound for the hinterland to use Maputo.
“We have to grow the pie so that everyone benefits – consumers, retailers, logistics companies, rail operators and the people of the region as a whole,” he says.
The new gantries are improving productivity at DP World Maputo.
