Matola coal terminal in Mozambique doubles processing capacity to 4 million tons per year
[ 2010-03-10
]
Maputo, Mozambique, 10 March – The Matola coal terminal has doubled its processing capacity from 2 to 4 million tons per year, with a new expansion project underway to take capacity to 6 million tons, according to Mozambican newspaper Notícias.
As part of the same development plan, South African group Grindrod, the owner of the terminal, is negotiating with South African rail company Transnet in order to get assurances that it will have enough carriages available to transport the coal and magnetite.
Under the current conditions and according to figures published by the Maputo Corridor Logistic Initiative (MCLI), the Matola coal terminal receives ships with a capacity of up to 45,000 tons, and the project underway should make it possible for ships with a 250,000 ton capacity to moor at the Matola terminal.
In order to make it possible for ships with this capacity to enter the port needs to be dragged to a depth of 11 metres, an operation that according to Grindrod is due for conclusion by the end of September.
Investments that ended with the doubling of the terminal’s capacity were the first and second phases of the facility’s development project and the third phase is due to be concluded by next August.
Grindrod has meanwhile begun an economic feasibility study to establish the market’s potential of increasing the terminal’s capacity to 10 million tons per year, which is due to be concluded in the first half of the year. (macauhub)
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