Warehousing facilities at the Port of Beira are being upgraded and refurbished as part of the Build Back Better (BBB) campaign implemented to address the damage caused by cyclone Idai in 2019.
According to Miguel de Jenga, commercial director for Cornelder de Moçambique, the bulk and container terminal concessionaire at the Port of Beira, the tropical cyclone caused major damage to infrastructure, including warehousing facilities and equipment.“BBB consists of massive investments in the building infrastructure, including the upgrading and rehabilitation of six of the eight warehouses we have within the port perimeter,” he said.
“The first phase of the campaign included an evaluation of the port's infrastructure, including warehouse floors, roofs and doors. This was followed by an exercise to define the types of cargo to be handled within each facility. Most recently, we began civil works to upgrade and refurbish six of our warehouses. The roofs will be equipped with new galvanised roofing panels with an aluminum and bitumen coating on each side that offers high resistance to corrosion from saltwater and durability against severe weather conditions. Once the roofing is completed, civil works on the interior flooring will be initiated to ensure smooth surfaces for bulk cargo bagging.”
According to De Jenga the entire rehabilitation project is expected to be concluded by April 2021, but port users are expected to start using the facilities as soon as the fourth quarter of this year.He said one of the major challenges had been storage capacity in the port due to the significant damage to warehousing facilities by the cyclone. “
Since Idai, we have focused on gradual improvements within our warehousing facilities, and in less than a year clients will benefit from wholly improved facilities.”He said the port was also working on improving its open area and unpaved storage areas, thus expanding the storage capacity for cargo that is not weather sensitive.
Another challenge, said De Jenga, was ensuring operations were safe, secure and efficient considering the port was a gateway to the hinterland.“We have competing storage requests from our customers and need to adjust accordingly to accommodate the commodities handled through our facilities. This requires the adoption of the latest technologies to handle and track the cargo, investment in resilient infrastructure, and human resource development to anticipate increasing demands from our clients.”
He said warehousing developments were ongoing not only in the port but along the Beira Corridor as well – a direct reflection of the increase in demand on the corridor. “Increasing storage demand from clients and climate change have required that we use the highest-quality construction materials and observe international standards in the civil works, allowing for facilities that can serve a diverse range of commodities.