The port of Beira, in central Mozambique, increased the volume of cargo handled by 46% in 2020 to around 3.1 million tonnes, a performance influenced by rising fertiliser imports, as reported on Friday.
“The sharp growth in traffic volumes at the General Cargo Terminal is due to the increase in fertiliser imports,” a note from Cornelder, the port’s concessionaire, said.
Without specifying figures, Cornelder noted that fertilizer orders from Zimbabwe and Malawi had had the greatest impact on the growth of cargo handled last year by the port.
Mozambique’s overseas purchases of clinker, a raw material used in cement production, also boosted the port’s results in 2020.
Contrary to this positive performance, the number of containers handled by the port of Beira fell by 1.7% to 255,459 containers, compared to 259,938 in 2019.
The reduction was due to the fall in maritime traffic and the paralysis of industries due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The decrease in timber exports and imports of various goods also contributed to this volume reduction,” the Cornelder communiqué noted.
For this year, the concessionaire of the port is ensuring the continuation of its investment plan, mainly the opening of more channels of access to the infrastructure, to allow its use by more ships of great draught.
“We will also expand storage facilities, both container terminal and general cargo, invest in the acquisition of modern handling equipment and introduce new management operating systems”.
Due to their location in the Indian Ocean, Mozambican ports are the only access to sea routes from neighbouring countries landlocked within the continent.
