The expansion of the CPMZ pipeline will increase annual fuel transport capacity by two billion litres, strengthening supplies to Zimbabwe and other regional markets. Photo courtesy of CPMZ
Mozambique and Zimbabwe have launched a major expansion of the Beira-Harare fuel corridor, with the project expected to increase pipeline capacity by 67% and strengthen energy security across Southern Africa.
Mozambique President Daniel Chapo and Zimbabwe President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa broke ground on the expansion in Nhamatanda, Sofala Province, on Wednesday. The project will raise the annual transport capacity of the CPMZ pipeline from 3 million to 5 million cubic metres by the end of 2027.
The additional capacity will enable the movement of approximately two billion more litres of fuel annually into Southern Africa’s interior, supporting growing demand for diesel, petrol and jet fuel in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and regional markets including Zambia, Malawi, Botswana and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“The expansion of the CPMZ pipeline is an important investment in Mozambique’s infrastructure and in the energy security of our region. By strengthening the connection between the Port of Beira and the Southern African hinterland, we are reinforcing Mozambique’s role as a strategic gateway for regional trade while deepening our cooperation with Zimbabwe. This is the kind of infrastructure investment that strengthens regional connectivity, supports economic activity and creates greater resilience for the future,” President Chapo said.
President Mnangagwa said the project would reinforce Zimbabwe’s energy security while increasing the corridor’s ability to serve markets beyond the country.
“The stronger Beira-Harare corridor will support Zimbabwe’s energy security while creating greater capacity to serve markets beyond our borders. It shows what Mozambique and Zimbabwe can achieve through cooperation around infrastructure of shared regional importance.”
The expansion includes new pumping stations at Nhamatanda and Messica in Manica Province. Construction and commissioning will be carried out without interrupting pipeline operations or fuel supplies to markets served by the corridor.
The project is being synchronised with the planned expansion of the Petrozim Line between Feruka and Harare, creating a higher-capacity route from Mozambique’s coast into the Southern African hinterland.
CPMZ Chairman of the Board of Directors António Laice said the investment would expand one of the region’s key fuel routes without disrupting existing supplies.
“This project adds substantial capacity to one of the region’s most important fuel routes without disrupting the supplies on which countries and businesses rely every day,” Laice said.
“It is an investment not only in pipeline infrastructure, but in regional trade, industrial activity and the long-term reliability of Southern Africa’s fuel supply network.”
The 294-kilometre CPMZ pipeline transports refined petroleum products from the Port of Beira to Feruka in Zimbabwe and forms a critical part of the Beira Corridor, linking the Indian Ocean port with Zimbabwe and other landlocked economies.
The latest expansion builds on a 2024 upgrade that increased annual capacity from 2 million to 3 million cubic metres.
Looking beyond 2027, preliminary studies are assessing the replacement of the existing pipeline with a larger-diameter line that could raise annual capacity to about 12 million cubic metres and support projected demand through 2050. A possible extension of the Harare-Lusaka route into Zambia’s Copperbelt is also being evaluated.
CPMZ has operated the Beira-Feruka pipeline since 1982. The system runs continuously, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, using real-time SCADA monitoring and stringent safety, environmental and risk-prevention standards. Its technical workforce is composed entirely of Mozambican professionals.
