A proposed 1,350-kilometre railway linking iron ore deposits in the Central African Republic to the deepwater port of Kribi in Cameroon could add demand for 70-80 additional Capesize vessels annually by the late 2030s, Drewry estimates.

The Central African Republic (CAR) sits landlocked more than 1,000 km from the Atlantic, leaving its mineral wealth largely stranded. The corridor is meant to change that by giving bulk minerals a viable export route for the first time.

The line would connect A&S Resources' Bakala/Topa and Bogoin concessions, which the company estimates hold more than 20 billion tonnes of predominantly high-grade iron ore, to Atlantic loading facilities at Kribi. Financing rests on a $6 billion package A&S said it secured from an Indian financial institution, with a Chinese infrastructure company likely to deliver construction.

A&S's February 2026 statement that it had signed agreements covering mine development, railway construction and long-term offtake logistics underpinned the announcement.

How much ore would the line carry?

The railway would move 250,000 tonnes per day at launch, equal to 91 million tonnes annually. Capacity could then rise to 300,000 tonnes per day, or close to 110 million tonnes a year.

Kribi will have to expand handling infrastructure — currently configured for general and containerised cargo — to absorb that throughput. First exports cannot arrive before the early 2030s because exploration remains at an early stage, Drewry noted.

What does it mean for Capesize demand?

If Kribi loads roughly 100 million tonnes annually, with the volume split between Chinese and Indian steelmakers, the two buyers would partly redirect demand away from Australian ore. Drewry calculates this would add more than 500 billion tonne-miles of seaborne demand.

That would be enough to absorb 70-80 additional Capesize newbuilds each year by the late 2030s. China imported about 1.3 billion tonnes of iron ore in 2025 and is expected to grow imports by 1.5-2% annually through at least 2031.

India imported more than 12 million tonnes in 2025 and is targeting 255 million tonnes of crude steel output by 2030-31. That goal would substantially lift ore import requirements and, in turn, support long-haul Capesize tonne-miles.

Why does the corridor matter beyond iron ore?

A&S has flagged copper, rare earth elements and other strategic minerals at its sites. That mix could pull additional bulker demand into Kribi alongside Capesize iron ore flows, though Drewry's base case focuses on iron ore tonnage.

The 20-billion-tonne resource estimate, however, is a company figure rather than a publicly verified reserve. The project carries substantial financing, construction and execution risk.

Despite those headwinds, Drewry concluded that the shipping impact "warrants attention." A built-out corridor would establish a new Atlantic loading hub on a scale comparable to West African and Brazilian systems, the analyst said.

For shipowners, the commercial consequence is a multi-year, high-tonnage outlet that, if delivered, would tighten Atlantic Capesize availability, lift freight rates on the West Africa–Far East lane and reweight tonne-mile balances toward the basin by the end of the next decade. Charterers and forwarders serving Chinese and Indian steelmakers would, in turn, gain a new Atlantic sourcing option alongside Brazil and West Africa.