Maputo coal volumes set to double

Continued investment in the port of Maputo by Grindrod and Dubai World, with supporting rail infrastructure by Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and Mozambique Ports and Railways (CFM), will see volumes double over the next four years, according to Jorge Ferraz, CEO of the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC), He was speaking at the first Maputo Port conference hosted by MPDC, in which CFM, Grindrod and DP World are shareholders. Alan Olivier, CEO of Grindrod, told delegates: “We believe that the demand to move cargo through the coal terminal will continue to grow and we are gearing up to accommodate this increased demand for capacity from both established and junior miners.” US$ 225 million dollars has been invested in Maputo and Matola Ports over the past eight years, and cargo handled has increased from five million tons in 2003 to predicted volumes of 12.6 million tons for this year, according to Ferraz. Volumes are expected to grow to about 50 million tons by 2030. Investment in equipment and infrastructure has made a significant contribution to the growth and it is expected that a further $750 million will be invested over the next 20 years. The Mozambican government, TFR, CFM, Grindrod and DP World have all contributed to this success story. “We commend TFR on improved efficiencies. By sweating their assets they have managed to reduce turnaround time of the trains from 200 hours to 90 hours on the Maputo corridor,” said Dave Rennie, chairman of MPDC and CEO Grindrod Freight Services. In order to expand the coal terminal’s capacity to 20 million tons and more, two new berths will have to be constructed, together with additional investment in rail infrastructure. This (phase four) is currently in its feasibility phase.