Railway operator Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) has begun exporting copper produced in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from the port of Lobito, in Angola, loaded on the MSC SAMU container vessel to the United States.
“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,” LAR board of directors chairperson Francisco Franca was quoted as saying by Mining Weekly.
A cargo of copper cathodes destined for Baltimore arrived in Lobito on August 19 on a LAR-operated train from Kolwezi within six days.
This was said to be a time-efficient western route to market that is now available for minerals and metals produced in the Congolese Copper Belt.
The LAR consortium joint venture was awarded a 30-year concession for Trafigura, Mota-Engil, and Vecturis.
The railway extends across Angola for about 1,300 kilometres, from the Port of Lobito to Luau in eastern Angola.
It connects Kolwezi to the rail system in the DRC run by the National Railway Society of the Congo.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief, Rough&Polished
