The Mozambican government has approved the extension of the Port of Maputo concession, allowing the MPDC consortium, made up of DP World, Grindrod and CFM, to manage the port until 2058. The expansion project will include an estimated investment of US$2 billion, making the port even more competitive in the region, especially compared to South African ports.
According to the statement from the Council of Ministers, the agreement includes investments of around US$1.1 billion until 2033, when the original concession was due to expire. This extension is the Fourth Addendum to the Concession Agreement signed on September 22, 2000, under Decree No. 22/2000 of July 25.
The MPDC, through its Master Plan, foresees a significant increase in the volume of cargo, reaching 42 million tons per year by 2033 and 54 million tons per year by 2043. The port’s capacity is expected to increase to 54 million tons per year by 2058, compared to the current 37 million tons.
In addition, the expansion will include increasing the capacity of the coal terminal in Matola, near Maputo, from 7.5 million to 18 million tons per year. The annual container transport capacity will also almost quadruple, reaching one million units during the same period.
The Port of Maputo has been increasingly used by coal, chrome and magnetite mining companies, due to operational problems at Transnet SOC Ltd’s railways and ports in South Africa, which resulted in significant losses of revenue for these companies.
