Port Overview 

Quelimane is a small seaport 12.2 nautical miles up the Cuácua River (ex-Bons Sinais). It is a short and convenient route for the export of regional agricultural crops from the Province of Zambézia, such as rice, cotton, and forestry products, as well as shrimp and scrap metal.  

With the decline of production during the civil war late last century, the exports almost came to a halt and the port fell into decline. However, following the end of the war and the concession to Cornelder Mozambique in 2004, the port underwent a rehabilitation programme that included a new concrete quay of 230 m long, and is now in good operational conditions. The Government and Cornelder agreed in December 2017 to end the concession agreement and the port management returned to Mozambique Ports and Railways Administration (CFM). 

All the offices of Government institutions can be found at the Port: Customs, Immigration, Maritime Service, Agriculture and Port Police. Agents are not allowed to have their operational Offices inside the port area. 

The electric power supply is stable; notwithstanding, a 250 KVA generator always ensures power supply, mainly for the cold chain installations and the security lighting along the security fence that surrounds the port area. 

The road network that leads to Quelimane is mostly paved to the South (Caia), to the North (Mocuba and further to Nampula and Nacala), and to the West (Milange at the border with Malawi). 

Quelimane is also connected to the Zambezi River by inland waterways. Previously, Companhia de Sena Sugar Factory at Marromeu used barges for sugar exports through Quelimane, however nowadays exports are through Beira. 

Rehabilitation of infrastructure on the pier and container terminal took place in Port of Quelimane, as well as dredging the access channel. This rehabilitation allowed for the expansion of the handling capacity of the container and general cargo terminal, allowing the manoeuvring basin, with a width of 200 meters, to reach a depth of 5 m, against the previous 2 to 3 m. 

Port website: 

https://www.cfm.co.mz/index.php/pt/infraestruturas/porto-de-quelimane-centro 

Key port information may also be found at: Port of Quelimane MZUEL map, contact details and vessel arrivals by Maritime Database (maritime-database.com) 

 

Port Location and Contact
Country	Mozambique
Province or District	Zambézia
Nearest Town or City  with Distance from Port	Quelimane, in town
Port's Complete Name	Porto de Quelimane
Latitude	-17.879090
Longitude	36.879420
Managing Company or Port Authority	Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM)
Management Contact Person	Dr. A. Conde (825503020, 846624724, 875503020)  Engº Sábado Mune Juliasse (825774400, 842280980)
Nearest Airport and Airlines with Frequent International Arrivals/Departures	Aeroporto de Quelimane  LAM operates only domestic flights to/from Quelimane

Port Picture 

 

Description and Contacts of Key Companies 

CFM Centro, Zambézia Delegation manages the port. 

For more information on port contacts, please see the following link:  

 4.4 Port and Waterways Companies Contact List  

 

Port Performance 

The channel draft is 4.9 - 6.1 m (tidal) and the maximum vessel size is 150 m in length. The major limitation of the port is the access channel draft. This limits the size of vessels that can access the port. Vessels with a draft of more than 3.5 meters are subject to navigational restrictions and require additional maneuvering time. The port of Quelimane is not currently congested and has a relatively low waiting time for vessels to berth. However, this can vary depending on factors such as weather conditions, vessel size, and cargo type. 

There is no established priority for humanitarian cargo at the port of Quelimane. However, the port does have facilities to handle such cargo and works closely with humanitarian organizations to facilitate their operations. 

One of the major limitations of the port of Quelimane is its limited infrastructure. The port's handling capacity is relatively low, and it lacks modern equipment and facilities. Additionally, the port is only accessible to smaller vessels due to its shallow channel draft. 

Seasonal Constraints
	Occurs	Time Frame
Rainy Season	Yes	From November to March
Major Import Campaigns	No	N/A
Other Comments

 

Handling Figures for 2021
Vessel Calls	7 (5 in 2020)
Container Traffic (TEUs)	256 (671 in 2020)

 

Handling Figures Bulk and Break Bulk for 2021
Bulk (mt)	5,700 (7,700 in 2020)
Break bulk (mt)

Discharge Rates and Terminal Handling Charges 

For information on port rates and charges, please see the following links: 

Port and Terminal Charges  

Berthing Specifications 

Type of Berth	Quantity	Length  (m)	Maximum  Draft (m)	Comments
Conventional Berth	N/A	N/A	N/A
Container Berth	Yes	230	4.9 – 6.1	Channel draft is 4.9 - 6.1 m (tidal)
Silo Berth	N/A	N/A	N/A
Berthing Tugs	None	N/A	N/A	There is just one pilot boat.
Water Barges	None	N/A	N/A

 

 

General Cargo Handling Berths 

Cargo Type	Berth Identification
Imports - Bagged Cargo	Nr. 1
Exports - Bagged Cargo	Nr. 1
Imports and Exports - RoRo	Nr. 1
Other Imports	Nr. 1

Port Handling Equipment 

CFM Centro, Zambézia Delegation manages the port. 

Sany and Kalmar reach Ssackers, mechanical spreader, port crane, forklift truck, Sisu terminal tractor, rough terrain forklift, three wheeled loaders. 

Equipment	Available	Total Quantity and Capacity Available	Comments on Current Condition and Actual Usage
Dockside Crane	No
Container Gantries	No
Mobile Cranes	Yes	1 x 45 mt	Good
Reachstacker	Yes	1 x 45 mt	Good
RoRo Tugmaster (with Trailer)	No
Grain Elevator with Bagging Machines	No
Transtainer	No
Forklifts	Yes	3 x 3 mt	Good

Container Facilities 

The container facilities are very basic. 

Facilities	20 ft	40 ft
Container Facilities Available	Yes	Yes
Container Freight Station (CFS)	No	No
Refrigerated Container Stations	16	16
Other Capacity Details
Daily Take Off Capacity   (Containers per Day)	105	105
Number of Reefer Stations   (Connection Points)	16	16
Emergency Take-off Capacity
Off take Capacity of Gang Shift   (Containers per Shift)	80	80

 

Customs Guidance 

Guidance from the manual “Rules and Procedures for Customs clearance of Goods donated for Humanitarian Assistance”, prepared by INGD, Mitigation Division, Customs clearance Sector - Ver12December 22: 

VI. CUSTOMS CLEARANCE PROCESS FOR THE HEALTH AND EMERGENCY AND HUMANITARIAN GOODS SECTOR 

6.1. Conditions for Customs Clearance 

25. Advance shipment (after shipment and before arrival in the national territory) by the exporter/Donor of the following documents: 

1. Commercial Invoice; 

2. PackList; 

3. Certificate of Analysis (Drugs and vaccines) or Quality (Consumables and other medical products); 

4. Bill of Lading (Bill of lading) for sea and Waybill for air; 

5. Processing schedule for the Pharmaceutical Specialty Inspection Bulletin (BIEF), in accordance with Annex 2.

26. Immediate Issuance (within no more than 2 days) of the Accounting Note, in cases of lack of financial coverage, an early exit authorization would be issued for products subject to Customs Charges (most consumables). If the Accounting Note is not issued within 2 days, the products destined for the MISAU (medicines, medical products, equipment and vehicles) will enjoy early departure without any restrictions. 

27. Existence of financial availability within the limit communicated in the State Budget for the payment of MCNet Fee up to the maximum amount equivalent to sixty-four American dollars (USD 64) in accordance with paragraph 30, and expenses of Private agents of cargo handling (airport tax, storage, parking, deposit and Kudumba) upon arrival of the Goods.

28. For perishable products such as vaccines and reagents, the request for Exit Authorization must be made at the respective customs office, with a maximum of two (2) days in advance, under the responsibility of the Manager or his Representative. Clearance of vehicles and other vehicles.

6.2. Clearance of vehicles and other vehicles 

29. The attribution of license plates for vehicles and other vehicles must be made before issuing the Accounting Notes, through Early Departure, in case of delay in this process. 

6.3 Payment of the MCNet Fee 

30. Bearing in mind that MISAU imports goods with high values, you must pay an MCNet fee up to a maximum amount equivalent to sixty-four American dollars (USD 64), regardless of the FOB value of the goods. 

6.4 Payment of port fees 

31. Private operator agents must allow the collection of goods intended for Health under a Term of Commitment, with the guarantee that the amounts due are paid within a period to be agreed between this agent and any Ministry authorized to receive or import emergency goods or humanitarians. 

32. If the above conditions are met, the time for withdrawing the goods from the port area may be between: 

1. Maximum 2 days for air and land cargo; 

2. Maximum 7 days for sea cargo. 

For more information on customs in Mozambique, please see the following link: 

1.3 Customs Information 

Terminal Information 

MAIN STORAGE TERMINAL 

Storage Type	Number of Storage Facilities	Area (m2)
Bagged Cargo	2 warehouses	3,784
Refrigerated Cargo	N/A	N/A
General Cargo	Uncovered area	31,000

Stevedoring 

Stevedoring is provided by Permar (subcontracted by CFM) using port equipment and casual labour recruited on a daily basis. 

Hinterland Information 

The cargo is moved to and from the port by road. The road network that serves the port of Quelimane is mostly paved to the South (Caia), to the North (Mocuba and further to Nampula and Nacala), and to the west (Milange at the border with Malawi). 

Quelimane is also connected to the Zambezi River by inland waterways. Previously, Companhia de Sena Sugar Factory at Marromeu used barges for sugar exports through Quelimane, however nowadays exports are through Beira. 

Port Security 

Besides the security guards, a security fence surrounds the port area, illuminated at night with security lighting along the fence. In order to ensure 24 hour power supply, the port has a 250 KVA stand-by generator. 

Security
ISPS Compliant	Yes
Current ISPS Level   (Level 1 = Normal, Level 2 = Heightened, Level 3 = Exceptional)	1
Police Boats	No
Fire Engines	Yes (1)