Companhia do Pipeline Moçambique-Zimbabwe (CPMZ) is moving ahead with a significant capacity expansion of the 294-kilometre Beira-Feruka fuel pipeline, marking a groundbreaking ceremony on 2 September in Nhamatanda, Sofala Province. The project involves constructing two new pumping stations — one in Nhamatanda and one in Messica, Manica Province — that will increase annual transport capacity from 3 million to 5 million cubic metres by end-2027, representing a 67% uplift. Critically, engineers are required to construct and commission the new stations without disrupting ongoing fuel deliveries, a significant operational constraint that raises the technical complexity of the project.
The expansion is the second in successive years. A 2024 upgrade already lifted annual throughput from 2 million to 3 million cubic metres, meaning CPMZ will have more than doubled the pipeline's original capacity within a short window. The current project connects to a simultaneous upgrade of the Petrozim Line between Feruka and Harare, forming a continuous, higher-capacity corridor from Mozambique's Port of Beira deep into Southern Africa. Beyond serving Mozambique and Zimbabwe directly, the route secures refined fuel supply — petrol, diesel, and jet fuel — for landlocked markets including Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The strategic ambition extends well beyond 2027. CPMZ and the Zimbabwean government are conducting feasibility studies to evaluate replacing existing pipeline infrastructure with a larger-diameter system designed to meet regional demand through 2050. Planners are also assessing a potential extension from Harare northward to Lusaka, reaching into Zambia's Copperbelt mining region — a corridor that would serve one of Africa's most energy-intensive industrial zones. The long-term vision positions Harare as a principal distribution hub for the Southern African Development Community, anchoring a more integrated and resilient regional energy supply network.
For Norwegian pipeline and energy service companies, this programme represents a layered opportunity across near-term construction and long-term infrastructure planning. The immediate pumping station builds require mechanical, electrical, and commissioning expertise under live-operation conditions — a technical environment where Norwegian service standards are well suited. The medium-term feasibility work on a larger-diameter replacement pipeline and the Harare-Lusaka extension study creates entry points for engineering consultancies and pipeline technology providers ahead of what could be a multi-decade capital programme serving one of Southern Africa's most strategically important fuel corridors.