President Emmerson Mnangagwa has hailed the expansion of the Beira-Feruka fuel pipeline as a strategic investment that will strengthen Zimbabwe’s energy security.
Speaking in Mozambique yesterday during the laying of the first stone for the construction of the Nhamatanda and Messica pumping platforms, President Mnangagwa said the project would benefit both countries and the wider region by improving the efficiency and reliability of a critical fuel supply route.
“This laying of this first stone for the Nhamatanda and Messica pumping platforms is a timely and significant milestone for both Mozambique and Zimbabwe, as well as the SADC region as a whole,” he said.
The pumping platforms are expected to increase the capacity of the Beira-Feruka fuel pipeline from approximately three million to five million cubic metres per year, strengthening the route linking the Port of Beira to Zimbabwe.
President Mnangagwa said the increased capacity would have far-reaching economic benefits at a time when geopolitical tensions and global supply chain disruptions continue to threaten energy supplies.
“Energy self-sufficiency of our region along with enhanced efficiency and reliability of this critical fuel supply route is of great importance, more-so in times of supply chain disruptions, occasioned by geo-political tensions and conflicts,” he said.
He said his administration had placed energy security at the centre of Zimbabwe’s economic transformation, industrialisation and modernisation agenda.
“Secure and efficient fuel supply is essential for the sustained growth, production and productivity of our agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transport, and construction sectors,” President Mnangagwa said.
He added that the expanded pipeline capacity would help ease bottlenecks in the fuel supply chain while strengthening Zimbabwe and Mozambique’s positions as reliable trading and logistics partners.
“The new infrastructure will, thus, guarantee that this corridor remains a central enabler for the speedy realisation of the SADC integration and industrialization agenda and indeed, the African continent, as a whole,” he said.
President Mnangagwa also called for strict adherence to safety and environmental standards during construction and operation of the infrastructure, warning that economic development should not come at the expense of communities and ecosystems.
“Communities, ecosystems and water resources along this corridor should be protected, for posterity. Zimbabwe is ready and committed to work with Mozambique to promote, share and shoulder this responsibility for collective socio-economic development,” he said.
The President described the project as another layer in the longstanding relationship between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, rooted in their shared liberation history and strengthened by ongoing economic cooperation.
“My Administration is always ready to implement and bring to fruition the various aspects of our cooperation, for the benefit of our two economies and peoples,” he said.
The pipeline expansion is expected to reinforce the strategic importance of the Beira Corridor as a major regional trade and logistics route, supporting industrialisation, energy security and economic growth.
