The Port of Maputo Expansion project in Mozambique commenced construction works on the first phase of its planned $2 billion expansion project on Monday. This information was revealed by a senior official at the port.
The first phase of the expansion works which is expected to cost $164 million. The expansion is expected to more than double the capacity of the container terminal. The capacity will increase from 255,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) annually to 530,000 TEUs. This will be completed in the next two years.
Significance of the Port of Maputo Expansion
This expansion project aims to position the Port of Maputo as a major regional shipment hub. Currently, the port is already handling the increased volumes. This is as a result of the ongoing logistics bottlenecks in the neighboring South Africa which force the commodity experts to find other alternative routes.
Details of the First Phase of the Maputo Port Expansion
The infrastructure upgrades that will be undertaken in the first phase will entail extending the quay by 400 meters to 650 meters. Additionally, there will be deepening of the berth draft to 16 meters in order to accommodate the larger ships. This information was revealed by Osorio Lucas, who is the chief executive operator Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC).
The MPDC is a consortium that comprises of multinational logistics companies. These companies are DP World, South Africa’s Grindrod, and lastly the state-owned Mozambique rail operator Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique.
Lastly, after a slip dip in exports in the face of the civil unrest that was experienced in Mozambique after the disrupted elections last year, Lucas mentioned that the company was expected to pick up its operations in the coming month.
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