NHAMATANDA, Mozambique — Mozambique and Zimbabwe have launched a major expansion of the Beira-Harare fuel corridor that will increase pipeline capacity by 67% and add about two billion litres of fuel transport capacity annually to Southern Africa, writes Winston Mwale.
Mozambican President Daniel Chapo and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa broke ground on the Companhia do Pipeline Moçambique-Zimbabwe (CPMZ) expansion Wednesday, with the project expected to raise annual pipeline capacity from 3 million to 5 million cubic metres by the end of 2027.
The additional capacity is expected to strengthen supplies of diesel, petrol and jet fuel to Zimbabwe and other landlocked Southern African markets, including Malawi, Zambia, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The 294-kilometre CPMZ pipeline transports refined petroleum products from the Port of Beira to Feruka in Zimbabwe and forms a key part of the Beira Corridor, linking the Indian Ocean port with the Southern African hinterland.
The project includes new pumping stations at Nhamatanda in Sofala Province and Messica in Manica Province. Construction and commissioning will be carried out while the pipeline continues operating, avoiding disruption to existing fuel supplies.
Chapo said the expansion would strengthen Mozambique’s role as a strategic gateway for regional trade while deepening cooperation with Zimbabwe.
“The expansion of the CPMZ pipeline is an important investment in Mozambique’s infrastructure and in the energy security of our region,” Chapo said.
Mnangagwa said the expanded corridor would strengthen Zimbabwe’s energy security while creating additional capacity to supply markets beyond the country’s borders.
The project follows an earlier CPMZ expansion completed in 2024, which increased annual capacity from 2 million to 3 million cubic metres.
CPMZ Chairman António Laice said the latest investment would add substantial capacity to one of Southern Africa’s most important fuel routes without disrupting supplies to countries and businesses that depend on the corridor.
The company said the expansion is being coordinated with the planned expansion of the Petrozim Line between Feruka and Harare, creating a higher-capacity fuel route from Mozambique’s coast into the Southern African interior.
CPMZ said preliminary studies are also examining the possible replacement of the existing pipeline with a larger-diameter line that could increase annual capacity to about 12 million cubic metres and support projected demand through 2050.
A possible extension of the Harare-Lusaka route into Zambia’s Copperbelt is also under consideration.
The developments could further integrate regional fuel infrastructure and improve the movement of petroleum products between coastal supply points and landlocked economies, including Malawi.
CPMZ has operated the Beira-Feruka pipeline since 1982. The company says the pipeline operates continuously, with real-time monitoring through SCADA technology and a workforce made up entirely of Mozambican professionals.