Nacala Corridor

The challenge Mozambique’s untapped reserves of coal are among the world’s largest.  

In 2014, Steconfer was selected to be part of a major project known as the Nacala Corridor. The goal was to build up the infrastructure from the mining town of Moatize to the port in Nacala. With 912 km, it is East Africa’s longest rail stretch for freight traffic, running across Mozambique and Malawi.  

The final client Vale’s ambition was to increase the transport capacity of freight from pit to port. Siemens was commissioned to provide the solution for the single-line railway, which includes three-line branches and Steconfer to install the equipment, provide the basecamps logistics and equipment storage and management.  

The technical solution was based on hardware platforms, customized to fulfil the demanding requirements of mining railway applications and the tropical climate.  

Steconfer scope was to install Siemens Trainguard Sentinel Positive Train Control (PTC) system, train integrity monitoring, Westrace-type solid-state interlockings and the operations control centre in Nacala.  

Equipment installation included in Steconfer’s scope: 

• Inspection boxes 
• Assembly of hot boxes detectors and hot wheel detection 
• Derailment detectors 
• Installation of track circuit  
• Installation of point machines  
• Power supply shelters, including: 
  • UPS 
  • Battery bank 
  • Diesel generator and fuel tank 
  • Connection to the public network 
  • Rectifier 
  • Distribution panel 
• Power supply equipment for Hot Box & Hot Wheel, including: 
  • Off-grid PV system 
  • Battery bank 
• Power supply equipment for SBS 1 and microwave repeaters, including: 
  • Battery bank 
  • Diesel generator and fuel tank 
  • Connection to the public network 
  • Distribution panel 
• Power supply equipment for OCC 
  • UPS 
  • Battery bank 
  • Diesel generator and fuel tank 
  • Connection to the public network 
  • Distribution panel 
• Cable installation