MPDC and CFM plan to boost integration

Mining and bulk commodities continue to dominate throughput at the Port of Maputo, underpinning record volumes achieved in 2025 despite a period of significant political and operational uncertainty in the country. Speaking to Freight News, Osório Lucas, chief executive officer of Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC), said bulk movements out of the port remained dominant amidst ongoing changes in trade patterns. Of the 32 million tons handled by the port in 2025, around 25 million tonnes comprised bulk cargo, with mining commodities such as coal, magnetite, chrome and ferrochrome remaining the cornerstone of throughput. He said several external market dynamics had influenced the flow of minerals through the port last year. “The reduced ferrochrome production in South Africa, driven largely by energy constraints, resulted in increased exports of raw chrome through Maputo to the Chinese market, where downstream processing capacity has expanded to produce ferrochrome that was previously exported from South Africa.” This shift, said Lucas, had increased mineral flows through the port even though finished ferrochrome exports had declined. According to Lucas, ongoing investment in rail capacity and more collaboration between Mozambique’s CFM and MPDC can be expected to increase the share of bulk minerals moving on rail to the port. “Already, the collaboration between CFM and MPDC is showing benefit. Rail volumes increased by 17% year on year in 2017 to 11.7 million tonnes,” he said. “We simply cannot continue to move bulk minerals by road. Too many trucks on the road is not sustainable, from a safety, environmental or economic perspective. Rail is essential to mitigate the risk.” Lucas said CFM and MPDC were committed to working together on a rail-to-port system. Already CFM has reduced transit times from the South African border to the port from around 100 hours to approximately 45 hours. “We now have a target of 35 hours and it is within reach. Ongoing improvements have seen us reach the targets set.” Better data visibility, shared information and operational coordination have significantly improved the use of rolling stock. “With the same assets, we are now doing more cycles,” said Lucas. “The digital integration with CFM has been incredible. The improved application of systems has led to major efficiency gains. If a train can complete more moves in a month, everyone benefits – the cargo owner, the transporter, the port and the broader economy.” For Lucas, collaboration is critical. “Operating the port efficiently is meaningless if cargo cannot reach or leave the port efficiently. The port is not an island – we need to ensure the entire corridor is efficient and work together as different stakeholders to make it competitive.” He said this year would see further integration between the port and its rail partner. “We also have to see more integration between road and rail. We have been to the border several times and understand the challenges that exist. “One of the biggest obstacles is the repetition in processes and documents that results in long delays. There are several role players – South Africa, Mozambique, CFM and Transnet. We are committed to working with the various entities as we look at how we can improve system integration, reduce repetition and avoid costly delays.” Lucas said the coal and magnetite terminal was being expanded from about 8 million tonnes per year to approximately 12 million tonnes per year. “The bulk terminal’s total capacity, which includes coal, magnetite and other dry bulk handling, is also being increased to around 16 million tonnes, reflecting our intent to increase the bulk handling footprint of the port.” LV