Transportation
Preferred Bidders Picked for Multibillion-dollar Zambia-Angola Rail Project
The planned construction of the 830-kilometer (515-mile) greenfield Zambia Lobito rail line project, which would connect the mineral-rich African countries of Zambia and Angola, moved closer to construction late last month with the selection of two consortia as preferred bidders for separate engineering, procurement and construction contracts.
The project's lead sponsor and developer, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), unveiled a consortium comprising Italy-based Webuild S.p.A., along with Turkish firms Mota-Engil and IC İçtaş Construction as the preferred bidder for the 550 km Zambian section, and Mota-Engil and Brazil's Odebrecht Engineering and Construction for the 279-km Angolan section of the project. Construction of the entire line is expected to cost between $3 billion and $5 billion.
AFC said contract negotiations for the project, which is expected to create approximately 500 permanent jobs and 5,000 temporary jobs across construction, logistics, border post operations and professional services, “will begin in November 2026, with the aim of concluding EPC agreements within 8 to 12 week...