Durban, South Africa, 8 Jan – Coal exports from the port of Matola in Mozambique fell by over a third in 2007, due to competition from South Africa’s Richards Bay terminal, but are expected to recover this year, said port management company Grindrod.

According to figures published by navigation and logistics group Grindrod, coal exports from the outskirts of Maputo fell from 1.1 million tons in 2006 to 724,000 tons last year, or a 34 percent fall.

“The market began to contract at the same time as Richards Bay increased its capacity” for processing coal, the company said in a statement, which also said one of the reasons was the 14 percent tariff charged by South African railroad transport company Transnet.

This year, Grindrod expects to double the volume of coal processed to 1.5 million tons, due to the improvement of rail transport conditions and handling of coal at Matola.

Last week, Grindrod announced a partnership with international group Dubai Ports World (DPW), which includes working at Matola port.

Grindrod and DPW each control 48.5 percent of Portus Indico, the company that manages the Matola facility, with the remaining 3 percent in the hands of a Mozambican shareholder. (macauhub)