NHAMATANDA, Mozambique – Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has travelled to Mozambique to join President Daniel Chapo for a groundbreaking ceremony marking the second phase of the Companhia do Pipeline Mocambique-Zimbabwe (CPMZ), a major expansion that will significantly boost fuel supply capacity across the SADC region.
The ceremony is being held in Nhamatanda, in Sofala Province, where the two heads of state will unveil a plaque to signal the start of construction works on the expanded Beira-Feruka pipeline.
When completed by the end of next year, the upgrade will raise the pipeline’s annual pumping capacity from three million to five million cubic metres, a 67 percent increase driven by the construction of two new pumping stations in Nhamatanda and Messical in Manica Province.
The expanded pipeline will synchronise with the PetroZim Line to reinforce fuel supply and energy security across Mozambique, Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries including Zambia, Botswana, Malawi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, meeting growing regional demand for diesel, petrol and jet fuel.
Preparations at the Nhamatanda venue were in full swing on Tuesday, with officials from both countries coordinating to ensure a smooth event.
The 294-kilometre Beira-Feruka pipeline is a critical artery of the Beira Corridor, connecting the Port of Beira with Zimbabwe and the wider Southern African hinterland. CPMZ operates the facility around the clock, 365 days a year, backed by a specialist technical team.
Longer-term plans for the corridor include a larger-diameter pipeline and a possible extension towards Zambia’s Copperbelt, which would position Mozambique as an even more significant fuel gateway for landlocked economies across the subregion.
Tuesday’s ceremony also carries historical weight, consolidating bilateral ties between Zimbabwe and Mozambique that stretch back to the liberation struggle, when Maputo provided critical support during Zimbabwe’s war of independence.
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