“Mozambique is a true case of success and has developed rather positively over the past two years,” says Jorge Coelho, chairman of the executive committee of the Mota-Engil Group.

The Portugal-based engineering and construction firm currently has works underway in Mozambique to the value of €300 million and just this year has won tenders amounting to around €165 million.

The last two contracts, totalling €116 million, were relative to two roads awarded to Mota-Engil Engenharia. One of the works is the design and construction of a road between Chimoio and Lucite (147 km). It is to be built within a period of 30 months and the total value of the work is of approximately €64 million.

The other project is the design and construction of a road between Lucite and Espungabera (113 km). It is to be built within a period of 30 months and the total value of the work, including VAT, is approximately €52 million.

“Olympic village” for 10th All African Games

The company is also involved in the construction of the “olympic village” which will house the athletes of the 10th All Africa Games to be hosted in Maputo. The €114 million project will be carried out by a consortium led by Mota-Engil.

It comprises the construction of infrastructures (roads, water, sewage and electricity), 848 apartments, a water tower, an Olympic-size pool and a ceremony area.

New Tete bridge

At the beginning of June the Mozambican Council of Ministers approved the concession of a new bridge over the Zambezi River to Estradas do Zambeze, a consortium consisting of Ascendi (a Mota-Engil Group company), Soares da Costa Concessões and Infra Engineering (a Mozambican company).

The new Tete bridge is of great importance for Mozambique. According to the spokesman of the Council of Ministers “it is going to boost the development of the Tete province and of neighbouring countries with no sea access, which carry out their international trade via the Mozambican corridors and ports”.

The new €105.3 million bridge would replace the current one, which has been undergoing repairs for several years. The bridge carries a lot of international traffic and sometimes trucks have to wait days to cross to the other side.

The new Tete bridge is concessioned to Estradas do Zambeze for a period of 30 years.

Besides the bridge, Estradas do Zambeze also has the operation and maintenance concession of a 700 km road network that covers the Tete province.