ANGOLA’s Ministry of Transport launched a tender for a 30-year concession to operate and maintain the Namibe Corridor on December 5. A private operator will manage the 855km Moçâmedes - Menongue line in southern Angola, linking the port of Namibe with the country’s mineral and agriculture-rich interior. Moçâmedes province has significant deposits of copper, manganese, chrome, tin and lignite.
The tender also covers operation of the port of Namibe, the Sacomar mineral terminal and the Arimba logistics terminal, along with branches to mineral areas in Huila and Cubango. Rolling stock, infrastructure and workshops are included in the concession.
The concession allows for the design and construction of new sections of railway, including links to Namibia and Zambia.
The tender closes on May 4 and the concession includes an option to extend the contract by 20 years if the lines to Namibia and Zambia are built.
“We want to move beyond the current average of around 200,000 tonnes transported by rail per year and, about 10 years into the concession, reach volumes of approximately 5 million tonnes per year,” says Jorge Bengue, secretary of state for land transport.
