DR Congo Approves Mota-Engil Partnership to Revamp Lobito Corridor Railway Linking Copper and Cobalt Mines to Global Markets
The Democratic Republic of Congo has approved a partnership with Portuguese construction and engineering company Mota-Engil SGPS SA to rehabilitate a critical railway network that will strengthen the country’s access to global markets for copper and cobalt.
The project forms part of the Congolese section of the Lobito Corridor, a strategic infrastructure route designed to connect mineral-rich regions of Central Africa with Angola’s Atlantic port of Lobito.
The rehabilitation will be carried out through a public-private partnership approved by the Congolese government.
Mota-Engil is expected to play a central role in restoring and operating the railway, building on its existing involvement in the Lobito Corridor through a consortium that manages the connecting rail line in neighboring Angola.
The link provides a continuous transport route from Congo’s mining regions to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Lobito Corridor is considered one of Africa’s most important infrastructure projects for the export of critical minerals.
By improving rail connectivity, the project is expected to reduce transportation costs and shorten delivery times for copper and cobalt shipments destined for international markets.
The railway passes through some of Congo’s most important mining areas, including Kolwezi, Tenke and Lubumbashi, which are major centers for copper and cobalt production.
Congo is the world’s second-largest copper producer and the leading global supplier of cobalt, a key material used in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies.
US involvement in the project has grown as Washington seeks to strengthen supply chains for critical minerals and reduce reliance on China.
The Lobito Corridor has become a major focus of US economic and strategic engagement in Africa, particularly as Chinese companies currently dominate much of Congo’s mining industry.
A cooperation agreement between the United States and Congo has highlighted opportunities for American investment in strategic mineral resources, including copper, cobalt, lithium and tantalum.
The agreement also recognizes the importance of transport infrastructure such as the Lobito Corridor in expanding access to these resources.
Although the final contract has not yet been completed, Mota-Engil is expected to take responsibility for upgrading and managing the railway under a long-term operating agreement. Negotiations are reportedly considering a concession period of up to 30 years.
The company’s experience in the region includes its partnership with commodities group Trafigura on Angola’s Lobito rail operations.
That venture already has agreements allowing access to Congo’s state railway network, creating a foundation for cross-border mineral transport.
The project could receive significant financial support, with development finance institutions previously expressing interest in helping fund the rehabilitation and management of the railway.
The Lobito Corridor is also expanding beyond Congo, with plans underway to connect Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, to the route.
The extension would provide Zambia with another export pathway for minerals, alongside existing routes through Tanzania.
The competition for Africa’s mineral transport infrastructure is intensifying. China is advancing its own railway modernization efforts in the region, including the rehabilitation of a major export route linking Zambia’s mining areas to Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port.
Mota-Engil, controlled by the Mota family and partly owned by China Communications Construction Co., operates engineering, construction and mining-related projects across Africa, Europe and South America.
The company has established a strong presence in African infrastructure development.
The firm has also expanded its activities in Congo, including securing a major contract to help develop the country’s first deep-water port in partnership with global logistics company DP World.
The rehabilitation of the Lobito Corridor railway represents a major step in Congo’s efforts to modernize its transport infrastructure, attract foreign investment and strengthen its role in the global supply chain for critical minerals.
