New Ndumbi Port boosts cargo

THE newly completed Ndumbi Port on Tanzania’s Lake Nyasa will boost the cargo capacity of the lake’s ports by almost 45%.
At present, 76 000 tonnes are handled and this will be increased to 110 000 tonnes.
Ndumbi Port has modern infrastructure capable of handling bulk cargo and containers, says Acting Manager for Lake Nyasa Ports, Manga Gassaya.
"The completion of the Ndumbi Port project is one of the major achievements recorded in port activities in the past two years," says Gassaya.
The Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) implemented the port development project as part of efforts to spur economic development in the Southern Highlands region and to facilitate trade with neighbouring Malawi and Mozambique.
The project included the construction of a 160-metre berth and a 20.4-metre jetty head, a ramp head 40 metres long and 10 metres wide, and a 1 020-sqm shed, a 9 030-metre heavy-duty pavement, and a passenger lounge with capacity to handle 70 000 passengers annually. The project also included the construction of an office building and residential houses for TPA staff.
The new Ndumbi Port, whose construction was completed in December last year, is an important fork point strategically aimed to save the transportation of coal to Kiwira Port and Malawian ports like Monkey Bay and Chipoka.
Gassaya says plans are also in place to renovate and upgrade other ports on Lake Nyasa, including Kiwira, Matema, Lupingu, Manda, Liuli and Mbamba Bay, noting that the TPA has finalised a feasibility study for the projects and submitted it to the government.