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.’
