Managed by Sociedade de Desenvolvimento do Corredor do Norte and owned by Vale Mozambique (80%) and by port and rail manager Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Mozambique (20 %), the development project for the Port of Nacala-a-Velha and the Moatize-Nacala railway line, is due to be operational as of next year. Investment in the project totals approximately US$D.5 billion. According to Saad work to complete the railway may be concluded at the end of the third quarter of this year. The railroad will have capacity to carry 18 million tonnes of coal per year and will solve the problems Vale Mozambique has faced with distributing its coal.
Similarly to Anglo-Australian group Rio Tinto, the Mozambican subsidiary of Brazilian group Vale has been using the Sena railroad to transport its coal to the port of Beira in Sofala province, but the railroad’s limited capacity has repeatedly impacted the companies’ results. In 2017 Vale Mozambique projects exports of 22 million tonnes of coal, of which 4 million tonnes will be exported via the port of Beira and 18 million tonnes via the port of Nacala-a-Velha. (Source: macauhub)