DRC: Mota-Engil plans $1.25 billion investment to modernize Lobito railway line
The Congolese state signed a 30-year concession contract with Mota-Engil Africa for the Dilolo–Sakania railway line, involving a $1.25 billion investment for rehabilitation, modernization, extension, operation, and maintenance. The project covers 1,004.5 km of track linking Kolwezi, Tenke, and Lubumbashi to the Angolan network and the port of Lobito. The state will hold at least a 10% stake in the project company and receive a 7.5% royalty on gross annual revenue.
Why it matters: This concession advances the theme of critical-minerals supply chains by seeking to shorten export routes for Congolese minerals, reducing transit time from about 25 days via Durban to 5–8 days to Lobito.