OREANDA-NEWS. At the annual event held by the NGO Africare in Washington, DC, Vale representatives took part in a round table about the development of the Nacala Corridor, a railway that our company is constructing in order to transport the production coming from our coal mines in Mozambique. Initiatives and investments relevant to the region were discussed among Brazilian and Mozambican government officials and organizations such as the Lula Institute, The World Bank, The Getulio Vargas Foundation and commercial banks.The event took place on April 20 and included a gala dinner in honour of United States President Barack Obama and telecommunications entrepreneur Mo Ibrahim. Ibrahim is well known for his promotion of good governance in Africa. The Brazilian delegation included former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who was also honoured at the dinner.

Grow and share value

With an investment of USD 4.4 billion, the Nacala Corridor will connect our coal operations in Moatize to the Nacala-a-Velha maritime terminal in Mozambique. The project includes the recuperation of 682-km of existing railway in Malawi and Mozambique and the construction of a maritime terminal and 230-km of new railway.

The Nacala Corridor is considered to be the key part of the infrastructure necessary to unleash this region’s potential. The project became possible thanks to a huge investment from the mining sector, demonstrating the catalytic role that this sector can play in terms of economic development. The benefits of this project will positively affect not only the countries of Mozambique and Malawi, but their neighbouring countries as well. On a wider scale, developing an economy of scale will reduce business costs, provide employment opportunities and offer support to small- and medium-sized businesses, which will supply goods and services in return.