The port of Maputo broke the cargo volume record in 2022, after general modernization, rehabilitation of the pier and the extension of trains with ore from South Africa to 24 hours, the management company announced today.
In total, in 2022, the cargo that passed through the port grew by 20% compared to 2021, amounting to 26.7 million tonnes, reads in a statement with the balance of last year’s activity.
“The port has certainly been reaping the fruits of the major infrastructure works carried out over the last four years”, said in the same statement Osório Lucas, executive director of the Maputo Port Development Society (MPDC), a private concessionaire.
“The Mozambican Government‘s decision to establish a 24-hour [railway] border operation had a positive impact on the entire Maputo Corridor” combined with other investments, namely in automation, he also underlined.
The volumes of chromium and ferrochrome that South Africa exports through Maputo, transported by train to the port, registered a substantial increase of 73% compared to the previous year (2.4 million tonnes in 2022).
However, the railroad represents only a quarter of the cargo that arrives at the docks, with the remainder carried by road.
“Railway operators continued to work towards a better balance” between freight by train and trucks, added Osório Lucas.
For this year, the executive director foresees a new increase in cargo and announces the consolidation of systems to improve the efficiency of the entire logistics chain.
“We are already implementing the new master plan for the Port of Maputo” and “trying to find creative solutions” to respond to an increase in demand, along with consultancy to improve operations, as well as investment in additional equipment, such as mobile cranes and support equipment.
The concession of the port of Maputo to MPDC completes 20 years in 2023.
With information from Notícias ao Minuto