What You Need to Know
The Beira port in Mozambique will enhance its fuel handling capacity from five to seven million tonnes per year following recent expansion works. This project includes the installation of new pipelines and aims to reduce vessel waiting times significantly, improving overall efficiency at the port. President Daniel Chapo emphasizes the need for coordinated management to optimize operations.
Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican port of Beira will increase its annual fuel handling capacity to seven million tonnes following expansion works that began on Monday in the central region of the country.
“We are launching a project to expand the terminal’s capacity from the current five million tonnes per year to seven million tonnes per year,” Lucas Vidigal, from the executive management of Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) Centro, told journalists.
According to the official, the project involves the installation of two new 16-inch pipelines (approximately 41 cm), covering five kilometres, increasing transport lines for diesel and petrol and reducing vessel waiting times at the port.
“We have had several transit vessels with multiple consignments, and we currently load 1,500 cubic metres per hour. With two arms, we will increase to around 3,000 cubic metres per hour. At present, the average turnaround time is three days per vessel, and with this increase we expect it to drop to one day,” Vidigal said.
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo warned in December of the need to create an entity to impose “order and discipline” among the various operators at the Port of Beira, in Sofala province, central Mozambique, to make the infrastructure more efficient.
“We will continue working so that, in a coordinated manner, we can design a master plan and ensure there is a single entity to impose order and discipline on all those operating at the Port of Beira, allowing us to address these concerns collectively and make our port more efficient than it is today,” Chapo said during a visit to the port.
This entity would, among other responsibilities, lead the development master plan for the Port of Beira, preventing concessionaires from making “uncoordinated investments”, which the President said undermines the port’s efficiency.
“The Port of Beira truly needs an entity capable of managing and enforcing the master plan among all stakeholders. For example, we currently have a single entry and exit point for trucks, which makes no sense,” the head of state said, criticising the lack of alternative access routes to the port.
The Port of Beira has been a crucial infrastructure for Mozambique’s economy, facilitating trade and fuel distribution. Historically, it has faced challenges related to congestion and inefficiency, prompting government initiatives to enhance its operational capacity. Recent expansions aim to address these issues by increasing fuel handling capabilities and streamlining operations to better serve the region’s needs. The government’s focus on creating a unified management entity reflects a strategic approach to improve port efficiency and support economic growth.
