The port of Pemba, in Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique, could increase the amount of cargo it handles with the start this month of exports of graphite mined in the Balama district..

Until then, this mineral, which is strategic for the production of batteries for electric cars, was shipped exclusively from Nacala, in the neighboring province of Nampula.

On Tuesday, the transit warehouse for this mineral was inaugurated, with capacity for 10,000 tons.

The infrastructure was built in the Pemba port area by Grindrod Logística Moçambique, contracted by Twigg Exploration Mining, which exploits the Balama graphites.

The ceremony to inaugurate the warehouses, which also marks the first time this ore has left this region of the country, was led by the Secretary of State for the province, António Supeia.

On the occasion, according to the newspaper Notícias, Supeia argued that the transit warehouse for graphite fulfills one of the wishes of the Cabo Delgado government, which was to see this mineral exported through Pemba. For the government official, "achieving this goal will bring in more revenue for the province, as well as helping to create some jobs".

"The warehouse can be used to store other types of cargo, as part of maximizing the potential of the facilities," said the source.

For its part, the company Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM), which manages the port infrastructure, believes that exporting graphite from this location "will increase the cargo handled from 250,000 to 400,000 tons a year".