I nvestors wanting to move the millions of tons of commodities and equipment for the construction of the onshore liquid natural gas (LNG) plants will need to ensure that they are supported by companies with local knowledge and networks, says Karel Meyer, founder of Sealandair. Established in early 2018, the company is 100% owned, registered and operated by Mozambican nationals. Meyer, who is a naturalised citizen after working in Mozambique for more than 18 years, says understanding of the way logistics works in Africa is essential. He has extensive experience in the setting up and management of logistics chains for bulk commodity exports (coal, chrome and iron ore), as well as project and abnormal cargoes. Sealandair has grown in 18 months from working off his dining room table to having strategically placed offices in downtown Maputo and a team of more than 15. The company offers the full range of logistics services and is supported by a national network of trusted agencies at all the border posts and main centres in Mozambique. Local knowledge, experience and flexibility are all going to be needed if the giant LNG “trains” are to be built on time and on budget, he says. “These are very exciting times. Everything we do from a logistics perspective will be new. “There has never been a project or projects like this in Africa”. Logistics companies will have to have to find ways of moving cargo in a region which is largely undeveloped. “The supply chain in the north is rudimentary at best,” he says. Sealandair is doing its bit to ensure that the right skills are available. Interns have been taken in to provide them with work experience. “Many have jobs for the first time. We are training them for ourselves and the rest of the industry,” he says.
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Local knowledge, experience and flexibility are all going to be needed. – Karel Meyer
