Maputo — The company Nacala Logistics, which operates the northern Mozambican port of Nacala and the rail corridors from the port, has just started sending liquid fuels from Nacala to Malawi, by rail.
The first operation, according to Thursday's issue of the Maputo daily "Notícias', consists of 29 tanker wagons containing 1.1 million litres of diesel.
Previously, fuel was supplied to Malawi by road from the central Mozambican port of Beira, and the Tanzanian city of Dar-es-Salaam.
According to a source from Nacala Logistics, shipments will now be carried out six times a month.
"This is a significant turn of events. In July, a strategic meeting took place at the Port of Nacala, organized by the leadership of the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA), the Malawian Ministries of Energy and Transport, the Mozambican fuel company Petromoc, Nacala Logistics and others,' said the source.
This operation is taking off after Nacala Logistics has recorded substantial progress in the quality of the rail services linking Nacala to Malawi and Zambia.
Rail transport of fuel thus contributes to increasing the flow of traffic in the Nacala Corridor, which now delivers ten 10 million litres of fuel per month to customers.
The source claimed that Nacala Logistics "is consolidating its role as the driving force of the economies of Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia'.
This is the first time that NOCMA has used rail transport to carry fuel from the Port of Nacala.
"We have an unwavering commitment to exceeding customer satisfaction and ensuring on-time fuel supplies for Malawi, especially during a period marked by fueling challenges and queues at service stations across the country,' said the source.