Background:

The Project consists of the financing and realisation of a major upgrade programme and the operation and maintenance of the Transgabonais railway, under a 30-year concession. Initiated in 1974, the Transgabonais is a c. 650 km strategic railway connecting the country’s capital and largest city Libreville, the port of Owendo, and Franceville, Gabon’s 3rd largest city and major inland hub. In 2020, the Transgabonais has carried c. 330,000 passengers and c. 9 million tonnes of goods, including c. 90% of the country’s manganese production.

As the only railway available to the industrial sector, the Transgabonais is a key infrastructure for the economic growth and diversification of Gabon.

Since 2015, the infrastructure has been subject to a €509m modernization, renovation and upgrade programme (the “PRN”) to restore the initial capacity of railway (which had dwindled by half over the years), by 2024. In 2021, Setrag and the State agreed to go beyond the PRN with a €197m additional Capex plan (“PRN2”), to further increase the capacity of the line to reach a total of 19 m MT by 2027.
Alongside Meridiam, the project is backed by Comilog, subsidiary of French mining company Eramet, world’s 2nd largest manganese exporter1 and major client of the line. IFC and Proparco are providing senior debt to Setrag.

The refurbishment of the railways will result in improved safety for passengers and additional traffic in line with the development and diversification of the Gabonese economy.

Stage:
Under Construction / Operation

Learn more about the project:

Meridiam enters shareholding of Setrag, operator of the Transgabonais railway line in Gabon