New system improves efficiency at Maputo Coal Terminal

Capacity through the ports of Maputo and Matola is being expanded to cater for more minerals, as well as increasing the current coal capacity. According to Pieter Venter and Sarel Ceronio, executives of Grindrod Mozambique, and Terminal de Carvao da Matola, Maputo offers the “shortest route to market” for mines in Mpumalanga, Zimbabwe and Swaziland. New systems have improved efficiencies to increase the capacity of the Maputo Coal Terminal. Despite the world economic slowdown, coal volumes grew from 2 million tons in 2010 to 4.5 million in 2012. Volumes are expected to continue growing following the sale in January 2012 of 35% of Grindrod’s interest in the company which owns the Maputo coal terminal concession to Vitol, one of the world’s largest energy trading businesses. Further to this, Vitol and Grindrod entered into a partnership (65 % Vitol and 35% Grindrod) to combine their sub-Saharan coal trading businesses, according to Grindrod. Further planned expansion of the coal facility will expand its capacity by 20 million tons a year. The US$800-million plan includes excavation and land reclamation resulting in a 120-hectare footprint, the construction of two additional berths, a stockyard and railway infrastructure. One of the tasks of the newly appointed chief executive of Terminal de Carvão de Matola, Sarel Ceronio, is to expand the magnetite and iron ore handling capacity of the Maputo port. New landside infrastructure is being put in place to handle up to 11 million tons of magnetite a year. Maputo’s coal capacity will also be increased to handle 20 million tons a year through a facility that is “totally independent” of the current Matola Coal Terminal, he says. CAPTION Sarel Ceronio ... ‘shortest route to market.’