Online Reporter
Zvamaida Murwira in Nhamatanda, Mozambique
THE expansion of the Beira-Feruka pipeline by Zimbabwe and Mozambique is expected to enhance fuel storage capacity and create a strategic buffer that will help shield the Sadc region from geopolitically induced fuel supply disruptions, Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo has said.
He said the successful partnership between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, which has culminated in the upgrade of the Beira-Feruka pipeline between Nhamatanda and Messica, marks a significant transition from bilateral cooperation to integrated regional infrastructure development.
Minister Moyo made the remarks on Wednesday on the sidelines of a groundbreaking ceremony in Nhamatanda, where President Mnangagwa joined his Mozambican counterpart, President
Daniel Chapo, in laying the foundation stone for the pipeline upgrade project. The development will increase pumping capacity from three million to five million cubic metres annually by the end of 2027.
Minister Moyo said the removal of traditional road-based fuel transport constraints through the expanded Beira-Feruka pipeline would position Mozambique and Zimbabwe as the primary energy transit corridor for landlocked Sadc economies.
“We think that, our growing economy in Zimbabwe requires much more than what we are transporting, to come into Zimbabwe. So we are upgrading this, from 3 million to 5 million cubic metres, and this additional 2 million, is significant because we also have been given, a storage area.
“Yesterday, we were shown where we can build our tanks. So we will have tanks here in Beira, just as we have tanks in Zimbabwe, both at Feruka and in, in Harare. That type of planning gives us security of supply, so that if there are shocks like the shocks we are having because of the Strait of Hormuz, (Middle East) we can say we have fuel which is already in our tanks in Beira, and we have fuel that is in our tanks in Feruka and in Harare. But all that depends on pumping which we are addressing. So there’s a lot of development that is beneficial to Zimbabwe,” said Minister Moyo.
In recent years, Zimbabwe and the wider Sadc region have experienced fuel supply challenges that pushed up the prices of petroleum products, triggering increases in transport costs and related services. Government responded by introducing a range of measures, including the removal of certain taxes, to cushion consumers from the impact of rising fuel prices.
Minister Moyo said the Beira-Feruka pipeline remains critical to Zimbabwe’s energy security strategy.
“Well, the Port of Beira is our lifeblood for energy, especially in the petroleum products area. This is where we transport over 90% of our fuel and most of that is coming through the pipeline,” said Minister Moyo.
While fuel is also transported by road and rail, he said the pipeline remains the most efficient and cost-effective option.
“As a country, we discourage trucking especially from Beira because we have not yet exhausted the capacity of the pipeline. So one would ask, ‘If you have not exhausted, why are you upgrading?’
We have actually this month reached the absolute capacity that is existing,” said Minister Moyo.
He said the expansion would also benefit neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“You know, last week, most of the fuel that was pumped into Zimbabwe, 22% went into the other countries. So there’s also increased demand from Malawi, from Zambia, from DRC, and they are picking the fuel from our tanks in Zimbabwe. It has to be pumped, and not just for Zimbabwe, but for the entire land,” said Minister Moyo.
He added that plans were underway to extend pipeline infrastructure to neighbouring countries. The upgrade, once completed, will increase the pipeline’s pumping capacity by 67 percent and significantly strengthen fuel supply reliability across the region.
The expansion will also synchronise with the PetroZim line to reinforce fuel supply and energy security in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and the broader Southern African region.
Construction of two new pumping stations in Nhamatanda District in Sofala Province and Messica in Manica Province will raise the annual transport capacity of the Beira-Feruka pipeline, helping meet growing regional demand for diesel, petrol and jet fuel.
The 294-kilometre Beira-Feruka pipeline is a key component of the Beira Corridor, linking the Port of Beira with Zimbabwe and the wider Southern African hinterland.
The project also underscores the strong bilateral relationship between Zimbabwe and Mozambique and their shared commitment to developing strategic regional energy infrastructure. Established in 1982, Companhia do Pipeline Moçambique-Zimbabwe (CPMZ) operates under a public-private partnership model involving the Mozambican State and private investors. The company operates around the clock throughout the year and is run entirely by a specialised Mozambican technical workforce.
Beyond increasing fuel transport capacity, the project is expected to strengthen regional energy security, improve trade and logistics efficiency, stimulate economic growth and further enhance the strategic importance of the Port of Beira and the Beira Corridor.
