The Mozambican government has passed a resolution to authorise an international tender to concession the integrated expansion and development project at the Port of Nacala in Nampula province.
The development aims to maximise capacity and enhance operations at one of the region's key logistics hubs.
The resolution, approved by the Council of Ministers in Maputo on Tuesday, empowers the Ministry of Transport and Logistics to launch the tender for the port's expansion and modernisation works.
“Nacala port, one of the main infrastructures of the Nacala corridor, currently has a capacity of 10 million tonnes per year, having handled 3.5 million tonnes in 2024, representing 35% of its capacity,” said Cabinet spokesperson Inocêncio Impissa.
The facility features three terminals: a modern container terminal with a capacity of 252 000 containers, a general cargo terminal handling 2.4 million tonnes per year, and a liquid terminal with capacity to handle 3.6 million tonnes per year. It also benefits from a navigable channel over 18 metres deep, eliminating the need for dredging.
“Even with these characteristics, there is a need to further improve conditions for unrestricted operations.”
Impissa said the integrated port development project was also expecting the optimisation and modernisation of the port and its terminals, the establishment of a special economic zone, dry ports to attract foreign investment and industries, and the construction of a floating dry dock and repair facilities.
The announcement aligns with broader efforts to strengthen the Nacala Logistics Corridor, which has been operational since 2016 following a $4.5 billion investment involving Brazilian mining giant Vale (a former stakeholder), Japanese conglomerate Mitsui, and Mozambique's public ports and rail company CFM.
The corridor includes a deep-water port at Nacala connected to a 912-kilometre railway primarily used for exporting coal from Tete province.
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo highlighted its regional significance in August last year.
“We are resuming the Economic Development Strategies Project of the Nacala Corridor, an axis linking Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia, with enormous potential for sustainable agriculture, industrial parks and the promotion of regional trade,” Chapo said.
In 2023, former president Filipe Nyusi inaugurated new infrastructure at the port, describing it as “crucial” for landlocked Malawi and Zambia, and signed agreements to boost joint use of the corridor.
During the same cabinet session, the government approved a resolution establishing a project implementation office for the Beira Development Corridor in central Mozambique.
“This office aims to coordinate, facilitate, reduce bureaucracy, support and monitor the execution of strategic projects, including the construction of the access road to Beira port, the building of a dry port in Dondo district, and the construction of one-stop border posts in Machipanda and Massacatiza,” Impissa said.
Source: Club of Mozambique/Lusa
