Angola - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

DRC Senate Approves Ratification of Lobito Corridor Agreement

December 15, 2024December 15, 2024 Constance0 comment

The Senate of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ratified the agreement establishing the Lobito Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency (AFTTCL) during a plenary session on December 2, 2024. The agreement, signed on January 27, 2023, in Lobito, Angola, involves a partnership between the DRC, Angola, and Zambia. The bill, first presented to the Senate on November 22, 2024, was referred to the “External Relations” Committee for detailed review. The committee, led by Senator Lutundula Apala Pen Apala, recommended ratification, emphasizing the corridor’s strategic importance to the DRC’s economy and… Read More Here

Mining in Zambia Angola Mining in DRC Transport and Logistics

U.S. Investment Boosts Africa’s Strategic Rail Link for Mining and Economic Growth

December 6, 2024December 6, 2024 Constance0 comment

The Lobito Corridor is set to become the largest American investment in African railways, according to US President Joe Biden. This strategic railway link, connecting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola, is poised to transform the transportation of essential metals used in vehicle manufacturing and wind turbines from mining sites to the port. Stretching 1,344 kilometers, the Lobito Corridor is designed to facilitate the transport of critical minerals, including copper and cobalt, which are vital for the global energy transition. The DRC, responsible for 70% of the world’s… Read More Here

Mining in Zambia Angola Governance Mining in DRC Transport and Logistics

US President Joe Biden Announces $560 Million Funding for Lobito Trans-African Corridor

December 6, 2024December 6, 2024 Constance0 comment

On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, US President Joe Biden unveiled more than $560 million in funding for the Lobito Trans-African Corridor, during a meeting in Lobito with Angolan President João Lourenço, DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema, and the Vice President of Tanzania. The project, designed to connect the mining basins of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia to the port of Lobito, is crucial for transporting key natural resources such as copper and cobalt. President Biden emphasized that the Lobito Corridor represents a transformative opportunity… Read More Here

Transport and Logistics Angola Infrastructural Development Mining in DRC Mining in Zambia

Biden Announces $600 Million in New Financing for African Railway Infrastructure

December 5, 2024December 5, 2024 Constance0 comment

President Joe Biden is concluding his trip to Angola with a significant announcement of $600 million in new financing for a multi-country railway, a move aimed at boosting U.S. investment in critical minerals infrastructure across Africa and countering China’s growing influence on the continent. This latest announcement builds on the $553 million pledged earlier this year by the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) for the Lobito Trans-Africa Corridor, which will connect the Central African copperbelt to the Angolan coast. The new funding will support not only rail infrastructure but… Read More Here

Transport and Logistics Angola Mining in DRC Mining in Zambia Press Release

President Biden visits Lobito Atlantic Railway to view copper exports to the USA

December 5, 2024December 5, 2024 Constance0 comment

Lobito, December 4, 2024 – The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, visited the Multipurpose Terminal at the Port of Lobito, Angola yesterday, where he watched the arrival of a train operated by the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), transporting copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The copper was then loaded onto a vessel bound for New Orleans, in the United States, highlighting, once again, the strategic role of the Lobito Corridor in linking Southern Africa and international markets. Nicolas Gregoir, Director of Operations (COO) at LAR, presented to… Read More Here

Transport and Logistics Angola Mining in DRC Mining in Zambia

World Bank Announces $300 Million Project for the Lobito Corridor

December 2, 2024December 2, 2024 Constance0 comment

The World Bank is preparing a $300 million project for the Lobito Corridor, according to Victoria Kwakwa, the institution’s Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa. She emphasized that participating countries must create favorable conditions for foreign investment. “The three countries involved must also focus on improving connectivity. Each must establish conditions to boost trade, address regulatory barriers, and develop infrastructure that enhances regional connectivity. This will enable the region to become a hub of commerce and development,” Kwakwa stated, as reported by Lusa. Highlighting the strategic importance of the… Read More Here

Mining in Zambia Angola Mining in DRC Transport and Logistics

Africa Finance Corporation Advances Zambia-Lobito Rail Project with Concession Agreements

October 27, 2024October 27, 2024 Constance

The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has significantly advanced the Zambia Lobito Rail project by entering into concession agreements with the governments of Angola and Zambia. This ceremonial signing took place on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 79) with the participation of U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and the Biden Administration’s G-7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI). The agreements empower the AFC to take the lead in funding, constructing, owning, and operating this vital infrastructure project aimed at enhancing… Read More Here

Transport and Logistics Angola Mining in DRC Mining in Zambia

DBSA Approves $200M for US-Backed Lobito Rail to Boost African Mineral Exports

September 4, 2024September 4, 2024 Constance

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) has approved up to $200 million in financing for the Lobito Corridor rail project, a US-backed initiative aimed at transporting critical minerals from Central Africa’s Copperbelt to the Atlantic port in Angola. Mpho Mokwele, DBSA’s Executive for Transacting, emphasized the project’s importance in supporting the global energy transition by facilitating the export of minerals essential for renewable energy technologies. “The Lobito Corridor is set to become the most competitive route for exporting these minerals, offering significant cost and time savings for exporters,” Mokwele… Read More Here

Mining in DRC Angola Copper Mining in Zambia Transport and Logistics

Copper exports from DRC to the US begin via Lobito Atlantic Railway

August 23, 2024August 23, 2024 Constance

The first US-bound copper shipment from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) via the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) has been successfully loaded. The cargo of copper cathodes, destined for Baltimore, was transported by train to Angola’s port of Lobito on August 19, according to global commodities trader Trafigura Group, part of the consortium holding the railway concession. This shipment follows earlier deliveries to European and Far Eastern ports since the Lobito Atlantic Railway began operating the concession in January 2023. LAR, a joint venture backed by Trafigura, Portuguese construction… Read More Here

Mining in Zambia Angola Transport and Logistics

Angola-Zambia Road Project to Boost Trade and Economy in Eastern Angola

July 16, 2024July 16, 2024 Constance

Economists and business leaders in Lunda-Norte believe that the construction of a road connecting Angola and Zambia, part of the Lobito Corridor initiative, will significantly enhance the flow of goods and services between Angola’s eastern provinces and the country’s coast. The project involves constructing an approximately 800-kilometer road from Lobito (Benguela) to Luau (Moxico) on the Angolan side. companies, including a consortium like SIbitech and Queiroz Galvão, as well as AFAVIAS, are involved in the construction. José Cangolo, an economist and professor at the Faculty of Economics of Dundo (Lueji… Read More Here