NOIC in key second phase pipeline expansion

ZIMBABWE’S National Oil and Infrastructure Company (NOIC) has embarked on a “multi-million dollar second phase of its pipeline expansion”, as part of integrated efforts to upgrade the Beira-to-Feruka-Harare channel works announced in Mozambique nearly three weeks ago.

This comes as African billionaire Aliko Dangote is planning a $3,5 billion pipeline to service six southern African countries and President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and his eastern border counterpart Daniel Chapo have recently commissioned strategic projects in Nhamatanda.

“We have seen an increase in the demand for fuel both locally and from Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, with enquiries having also been received from Botswana for the movement of fuel to Francistown,” NOIC chief executive Wilfred Matukeni said, adding Mutapa Investment Fund (MIF) and July Moyo’s Energy ministry had played “significant shareholder and legislative roles in aiding the pipeline operator’s developmental initiatives”.

“During the year 2024, a total of 528 million litres was handled as transit volumes into the region. This has necessitated the crucial infrastructural investment to meet current and future demand,” he said.

With the Beira-Feruka pipeline owned and controlled by Companhia do Pipeline Moçambique-Zimbabwe, part of the pipeline expansion works on the local leg of the 500-kilometre-plus pipeline, include the construction of a booster pump at Wilton in Marondera, Petrozim Line managing director Peter Masvikeni said.

The company has not only continued to “experience sound financial performance, enhanced profitability and effective deployment of its resources”, but authorities’ support on these strategic issues and decisions have helped improve the company’s performance, and growth position, which enabled it to declare a US$23 million dividend in 2025 and representing a significant increase from 2024’s US$10,9 million.

“From pumping approximately 1,17 billion litres in 2017 to an unprecedented 2,67 billion litres in 2025, NOIC has recorded a substantial expansion in throughput,” Matukeni said before intimating that the “anticipated local works should be completed by December 2027 and February 2026’s enactment of the Pipelines Amendment Act had greatly aided pipeline security”.

“The foregoing legislative intervention proved to be a substantive testament to the efficacy of coordinated policy leadership and action plan in safeguarding Zimbabwe’s critical energy infrastructure as well as advancing core national objectives – and ambition – of ensuring a secure, reliable and sustainable energy supply system,” he said.

The upgrades also come as Harare seeks to “sweat and maximise its energy assets for regional benefit in the midst of supply chain disruptions linked to the ongoing American-Iran war”, pursued in furtherance of and material alignment with developmental imperatives or policies enunciated under the four-year national development strategy two.

And the capacity upliftments were being undertaken under the strategic oversight and stewardship of MIF – the company’s shareholder, and parent organisation.

“In the discharge of its shareholder mandate, the fund has been instrumental in supporting the company’s efforts to mobilise and secure the requisite financial resources for the implementation of the capacity expansion programme, whilst simultaneously providing strategic direction, and guidance to ensure that the project remains aligned with Zimbabwe’s broader and long-term economic interests,” Matukeni said.

“…the expansion is properly construed as an integral component of Zimbabwe’s broader economic transformation and infrastructural development agenda (as well as to) promote energy security…,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mnangagwa has recently said in his state of the nation address that Zimbabwe’s “fuel and energy supply” has remained relatively steady.

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