Lobito Atlantic Railway begins exporting copper from the DRC to the United States
Lobito, Angola, 22 August 2024 – The first shipment of copper destined for the United States left the Port of Lobito, Angola this week loaded onto the MSC SAMU container vessel. This follows a number of shipments of copper to ports in Europe and the Far East since the Lobito Atlantic Railway took over the concession in January of this year.
The cargo of copper cathodes bound for Baltimore arrived in Lobito on 19 August on a Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) operated train from Kolwezi six days after it was dispatched, demonstrating the time efficient western route to market that is now available for minerals and metals produced in the Congolese Copperbelt.
Francisco Franca, Chairman of the Board of Directors of LAR, said: “This shipment highlights the growing supply of services by international shipping companies to the Port of Lobito, which will support the growing development of our operations and regular shipments of raw materials to Europe and America.”
ENDS
For further information please contact Lobito Atlantic Railway’s press office:
Dina Cortinhas | | dcortinhas@jlma.co.ao | +244 912 888 150
Jorge Salvador | jsalvador@jlma.co.ao | +244 927 323 722
About the Lobito Atlantic Railway
A 30-year concession has been awarded to the Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium joint-venture comprising Trafigura, a market leader in the global commodities industry, Mota-Engil, an international construction and infrastructure management company and Vecturis SA, an independent rail operator.
Since January 2024, the Lobito Atlantic Railway has been operating, managing and maintaining the railway line that extends across Angola for almost 1,300km between the Port of Lobito to Luau in eastern Angola and connects with the rail network run by the National Railway Society of the Congo (SNCC) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Kolwezi, the heart of the Copperbelt.
The Lobito Atlantic Railway also operates the mineral terminal at the Port of Lobito that connects to the railway line. The port facilitates a faster and efficient service in a decongested port on the Atlantic coast.
LAR currently employs more than 650 members of staff who are divided between company management and railway and port operations. They have mainly transferred from CFB - Caminhos de Ferro de Benguela and the Port of Lobito - and are expected to grow in number significantly due to the increase in the concessionaire's activity.
After investment, the railway will provide a quicker western route to market for minerals and metals produced in the Congolese Copperbelt. The upgraded railway line will also help bring vital goods and resources into the region and support business development and commercial activity along the route.
The LAR consortium is the concession holder for the operation, management and maintenance of the Lobito corridor railway linking Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo. A separate US-EU supported pre-feasibility study is underway into extending the Lobito railway from northern Zambia to eastern Angola.