Mozambique: Port of Beira Opens for Large Vessels

From today on ships with capacity of more than 60,000 gross tonnes can once again use the port of Beira, Mozambique, following dredging work that cost 43 million euros.

The newspaper Notícias reported that such vessels were unable to dock in the port for 28 years due to silting of the access channel.

The work was financed by the Mozambican government via the European Investment Bank, the Netherlands based on the ORET Fund, resources of Mozambique’s CFM port and railways company and the Dutch company Van Oord Dredging and Marine Contractors.

The project to dredge a length of 27.5 km enabled re-establishment of the planned 11-metre depth and 230-metre width for the Beira port’s access channel.

Some 9,320,000 cubic metres of sediment were removed, of which 5,880,000 was sludge and 3,440,000 sand, including 3,000 cubic metres of sand transferred to the hydraulic landfill for the future coal terminal.

To complement the dredging work and ensure efficient maintenance, the CFM this year obtained financing of about 40 million euros through the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) to acquire a new dredger and improve the Beira port’s maritime service.

The vice-minister of Transport and Communications, Manuela Rebelo, said that Mozambique “can now meet the logistical challenges of handling coal from Moatize transported via the Sena line.

(macauhub)

[mappress]

Source: macauhub, August 1, 2011; Image: Beira Port