The Port of Maputo will receive drags of 131 million euros to deepen the channel and increase operational capacity, allowing the entry of larger ships.
© Lusa
11/10/2026
by
Lusa
O Port of Maputo will receive dredging of 150 million dollars (131 million euros) from Monday to deepen the channel, receive larger ships, increase operational capacity and strengthen competitiveness.
According to the MPDC – Sociedade de Desenvolvimento do Porto de Maputo, which promotes the work, this operation will increase the maximum depth of the channel from the present 14.4 meters to 15.3 meters, as well as significantly expand its width, creating conditions for the entry of new generation ships up to 366 meters long, capacity to about 14,000 containers and silence close to 15 meters.
The concessionaire states that the project represents “a strategic investment for the future of the Port of Maputo and the logistic corridor that serves the region”, namely the connection to South Africa, allowing the monitoring of the evolution of international maritime transport and responding to the growth of demand.
According to the company, the main transformation will take place at the level of the width of the channel, which in the straight sections will go from about 110 meters to 210 meters, while in the curves it will increase from 150 to 295 meters, and a new basin of maneuver with approximately 660 meters in diameter is still planned.
“The deepening and expansion of the channel represents a decisive step towards increasing the capacity, efficiency and competitiveness of the Port of Maputo”, says MPDC information on the start of this operation on Monday.
The reception of larger vessels, adds, will allow to move larger volumes of cargo by scale, generating efficiency gains, reduction of logistics costs and greater competitiveness for exporters and importers using the Maputo corridor.
The work should take place for about a year and involve the removal of approximately 21.2 million cubic meters of sediment, using seven specialized vessels. Despite the size of the operation, the company ensures that “port operations will normally take place throughout the entire execution period”.
The dredging is part of the investment program associated with the extension of the concession of the Port of Maputo until 2058, approved by the Government, and appears in a phase of strong expansion of the capacity of the infrastructure.
In 2025, the Port of Maputo recorded a record of 32 million tons of busy cargo, more 3.4% than in the previous year. The current concession to MPDC runs until April 2058 and foresees investments of $600 million (€514.2 million) in the first three years. The MPDC is the result of a partnership between the Ports and Railways of Mozambique (CFM) and Portus Indico, participated by the multinational logistics company DP World.
At the same time, new projects such as the DP World Maputo Containment Terminal are advancing, which is expected to increase its capacity to about 650 thousand TEU per year, while Matola Coal Terminal plans to raise capacity to approximately 12 million tonnes per year.
In the ore area, ongoing investments should increase handling capacity to 20.6 million tonnes.
In July, the Council of Ministers approved the Integrated Investment Programme 2026-2030, considered one of the main instruments to implement the National Development Strategy 2025-2044 and the Government's Five Year Programme 2025-2029.
The executive explained that the programme aims to “transform development-engine investment and create the basis for Mozambique’s economic independence”, arguing that supported projects should contribute to industrialisation, job creation and reduction of regional inequalities.