Grindrod has launched the first phase of its long-planned expansion at the Matola dry-bulk terminal, marking an important step for Mozambique’s port and maritime sector.
The groundbreaking ceremony, attended by Transport and Logistics Minister Eng. João Jorge Matlombe, signals the start of an upgrade programme valued at eighty million dollars, focused on strengthening regional trade flows and modernising the terminal’s core bulk-handling infrastructure.
Building on earlier momentum, when President Daniel Francisco Chapo opened Grindrod’s administrative building and confirmed the company’s intention to expand the terminal. The latest ceremony moves that commitment into implementation and reinforces Mozambique’s position as a key gateway for Southern Africa’s seaborne cargo.
The first phase includes an investment of forty million dollars and aims to increase the terminal’s handling capacity from eight million tonnes a year to twelve million tonnes. The site will grow from just over forty thousand square metres to more than one hundred and fifty thousand square metres, laying the foundation for the final buildout in the coming years.
Back-of-Terminal area will be fully mechanised and linked to the Front-of-Terminal so that receiving, stockpiling, and loading activities follow a smoother, more integrated flow. The second phase is expected to introduce additional storage and loading facilities that will support throughput of up to fifteen million tonnes a year.
Grindrod has operated the Matola terminal since 2007 and has invested more than fifty-two million dollars in improvements, equipment upgrades, and capacity expansion. With its recent purchase of the remaining shareholding and a long-term sub-concession agreement with the Maputo Port Development Company that extends well into the future, the company has secured its role as a steady maritime and port partner for Mozambique.
source: africaports.co.za
