‘Private enterprise must work with rail on coal transport’

If the coal terminals in Maputo
are ever to reach full capacity
it is important that private
enterprise engage and work with
the Mozambican railways, says
Pieter Venter, general manager of
Grindrod Mozambique.
Having just opened a brand
new coal terminal at the Port of
Maputo, while upgrading its first
coal terminal to a capacity of about
6 million tons of coal per annum,
Grindrod has been engaging with
both CFM and Transnet Freight
Rail (TFR).
“Our entire coal facility is
dependent on rail connectivity,
not just along the corridor from
the coalfields in South Africa, but
also up to the time wagons are
tippled and the coal stockpiled.
As we are currently in phase 3 of
our expansion plan for the Matola
coal terminal – that will see it grow
from a facility handling about two
million tons of coal currently to
one that handles six million tonnes
– it is important that we know
we have sufficient rolling stock
capacity and commitment from all
the role-players.”
Venter says both CFM and TFR
have embraced the coal terminal
expansion projects. “It makes
commercial sense for the mines
from the Witbank and Phalaborwa
areas in South Africa to use the
Port of Maputo. It is a simple
calculation to make – Phalaborwa
to Richards Bay or Phalaborwa to
Maputo.”
And with the Port of Maputo
developing at its current rate, it will
be able to handle any cargo thrown
its way.
“This is also one of the ports
where there still is scope for
expansion and where congestion
is not holding up cargo,” says
Venter. “We have dedicated berths
and can therefore provide flexible
solutions to our clients. We are
working hard to improve terminal
efficiency and loadout productivity
is improving all the time.” He
says that once Grindrod took the
decision to invest in Mozambique,
it committed to the port and was
aware that it was not a short-term
plan. “We are here for the long
haul and we believe that as we are
still relatively new participants, we
can offer our clients flexibility. We
are able to tailor our service to the
customers’ needs. There is no doubt
we are serious about what we are
doing in Mozambique.”