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The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, visits the Multipurpose Terminal at the Port of Lobito, Angola today, where he will watch the arrival of a train operated by the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), transporting copper from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The copper will then be loaded onto a vessel bound for New Orleans, in the United States, highlighting, once again, the strategic role of the Lobito Corridor in linking Southern Africa and international markets.
Nicolas Gregoir, Director of Operations (COO) at 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 Lobito Port Mineral 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, 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, making it possible to highlight 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 needed for the energy transition.
About LAR – Lobito Atlantic Railway
A 30-year concession was granted to the joint venture of the LAR – Lobito Atlantic Railway consortium, comprising Trafigura, a market leader in the global commodities industry, Mota-Engil, an international infrastructure construction and management company, and Vecturis SA, an independent railway operator.
Since January 2024, LAR has operated, managed and maintained the railway line that extends for 1,300 km in Angola, between Porto do Lobito and Luau, in the East, and which connects with the railway network managed by Sociedade Ferroviária Nacional from Congo (SNCC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo to Kolwezi, the heart of the Copper Belt.
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LAR also operates the Porto do Lobito Mineral Terminal, which connects to the railway line, providing faster and more efficient service in one of the most uncongested ports on the Atlantic coast.
LAR currently employs more than 650 employees, divided between the company’s Administration and railway and port operations. These workers are mostly from CFB – Caminhos de Ferro de Benguela and Porto do Lobito and are expected to grow significantly in number due to the increase in the concessionaire’s activity.
This railway enabled the existence and operation of a faster western route for transporting minerals and metals produced in the Congolese Copper Belt. The modernized rail 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 EU, is underway for the extension of the Lobito railway line to northern Zambia.
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