Nacala on the rise

Mozambique and Malawi signed an agreement to enhance trade by leasing part of the Port of Nacala to Malawi for developing a dedicated terminal.

The Yen29B (US$236M) tender for the Phase 2 expansion of the Port of Nacala closed in early March. Work to be completed under the contract includes improvements to the container terminal and to road and rail access. In addition, land is to be reclaimed around the container terminal and dredging work carried out to allow larger vessels to use the terminal. This depth has not been specified, although Nacala has a natural depth of 14m.

The Mozambique government’s rehabilitation plan for its northern port of Nacala is on track, with the first stage of a three-phase programme completed at the end of September. The next stage is due to start in early 2016. By the end of the modernisation scheme, Nacala’s container handling capacity will have risen from 100,000 TEU to 180,000 TEU a year. In this first phase of the plan, which cost US$32.6M, the port’s 310m of quay used to handle fuel and containers, including the latter’s 13,000 m

The government of Mozambique, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and stateowned transport utility Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique have finalised plans to redevelop the Port of Nacala in Mozambique’s Nampula Province. JICA has provided a US$84M loan to fund the rehabilitation of the existing port infrastructure in preparation for massive expansion.

The government of Japan has signed an agreement to provide an US$84M loan and US$31.5M grant to build and equip a new container terminal at the port of Nacala in Mozambique.

An X-ray scanner has been installed at the Mozambican port of Nacala to speed up the inspection of containers as part of the upgrade of the port’s container terminal.