Luanda - The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, today will visit the Multipurpose Terminal of the Port of Lobito, where he will attend the arrival of a train operated by the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), carrying copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The copper will then be loaded onto a ship bound for New Orleans, in the United States, highlighting once again the strategic role of the Lobito Corridor in connecting southern Africa and international markets.
Nicolas Gregoir, Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), will present to President Biden and other guests the progress of the concession awarded to the company, which includes the integrated management of the Lobito Corridor railway line and the Port of Lobito Minerals Terminal.
This concession has demonstrated efficiency, sustainability and positive impact on the export of critical minerals, promoting regional economic development and the integration of Angola, the DRC and Zambia into global trade.
President Biden's visit to Angola highlights the relevance of the Lobito Corridor as a model of logistical excellence and sustainable economic development, highlighting LAR's commitment to transforming this infrastructure into an indispensable pillar for global trade and the energy transition, by ensuring the efficient supply of strategic minerals such as copper to the markets that need it.
About Lobito Atlantic Railway
A 30-year concession has been awarded to the joint venture of the LAR - Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium, consisting of Trafigura, a market leader in the global commodities industry, Mota-Engil, an international infrastructure construction and management company, and Vecturis SA, an independent rail operator.
Since January 2024, LAR has been operating, managing and maintaining the railway line that stretches for 1,300 km in Angola, between the Port of Lobito and Luau, in the East, and which connects with the railway network managed by the National Railway Society of Congo (SNCC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kolwezi, the heart of the Copper Belt.
LAR also operates the Port of Lobito Mineral Terminal, which connects to the railway line, which provides a faster and more efficient service in one of the most congested ports on the Atlantic coast.
It has more than 650 employees, divided between the company's management and rail and port operations.
These workers are mostly from Benguela Railways and Port of Lobito, and are expected to grow significantly in number due to the increase in the activity of the concessionaire.
The railroad made possible the existence and operation of a faster western route for the transport of minerals and metals produced in the Congolese Copper Belt.
The modernized railway line will also help bring vital goods and resources to the region and support business development and commercial activity along the way.
The LAR consortium is the concessionaire for the operation, management and maintenance of the Lobito Railway Corridor, which connects Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
A separate pre-feasibility study, supported by the US and the EU, is underway for the extension of the Lobito railway line to northern Zambia. ART/DOJ
