Dredging of the Quelimane port in Mozambique’s Zambézia province is due to begin this month and will last until January 2016.

Around 320 000 cubic metres of sediment are expected to be removed, creating an average port depth of five metres.

By comparison, the port depth at Maputo has been increased from 9 to 14 metres, while the tidal port of Beira – which has reasonable conditions for berthing ships – has an average depth of eight metres along its access channel.

Discharge from the Pungué river means dredging at the port of Beira totals 2.5 million cubic metres of sediment per year. Twenty-two buoys, set up along the access channel to the port of Beira undergo maintenance on a fortnightly basis. Ships of up to 60 000 gross registered tons can now move around the port at night, compared to 30 000 ton ships previously.