A proposed iron ore corridor from the Central African Republic to Cameroon's deepwater port of Kribi could generate demand for 70 to 80 capesizes annually by the late 2030s, according to Drewry — a potentially significant new tradelane for the dry bulk market.

The British consultant estimates that if the project reaches anything close to its planned scale of up to 100m tonnes per year, it would create more than 500bn additional tonne-miles for the shipping industry.

"The project faces substantial financing, construction and execution risks, but its potential shipping impact warrants attention," Drewry said in a new report, adding that Kribi could develop into "a major Atlantic iron ore loading hub".

Who is building it, and how?

UK-based A&S Resources is behind the plan. The company proposes a 1,350 km heavy-haul railway linking its Bakala/Topa and Bogoin deposits in the landlocked Central African Republic with Kribi on Cameroon's Atlantic coast.

Initial rail capacity is pitched at 250,000 tonnes per day, potentially rising to 300,000 tonnes — equivalent to roughly 91m to 110m tonnes annually.

A&S claims it has secured $6bn of financing from India Exim Bank, with China Railway Sixth Group involved in the infrastructure programme. Cameroonian media reporting, however, has stressed that loan terms, sovereign guarantees and even parts of the route and port infrastructure remain unclear.

What would it mean for Kribi?

The scale would be transformative for the port. Kribi handled around 12.7m tonnes in 2025, meaning the proposed ore volumes could eventually dwarf its existing throughput and would require substantial additional handling capacity.

A&S claims its CAR properties contain more than 20bn tonnes of predominantly high-grade ore. Drewry cautions that this remains a company estimate rather than a publicly verified resource, and first exports are unlikely before the early 2030s.

Why it matters for capesize owners

For capesize owners and operators, the commercial logic is straightforward. A second major Atlantic iron ore export corridor would add long-haul demand on top of the reshaping of trading patterns already underway through Guinea's Simandou development, whose longer voyages to Asia are increasing tonne-mile demand compared with Australian supply.

The key numbers at a glance:

• Up to 100m tonnes of iron ore per year targeted from CAR via Kribi
• 1,350 km heavy-haul railway at 250,000–300,000 tonnes per day
• More than 500bn additional tonne-miles, per Drewry estimates
• 70–80 capesizes employed annually by the late 2030s
• $6bn financing claimed from India Exim Bank; China Railway Sixth Group involved

Execution risk remains the caveat

Drewry's framing is measured. The corridor's shipping impact depends on financing closing, the railway being built to spec and Kribi expanding its berth and handling infrastructure — none of which is yet locked down. Cameroonian reporting points to unresolved questions on loan terms, sovereign guarantees and the final route and port configuration.

Still, if even a fraction of the projected volumes materialise, Kribi would move from a modest 12.7m-tonne regional port to one of the Atlantic's largest iron ore loading points, with knock-on effects for capesize freight rates on Atlantic basins.

With Simandou already pulling tonne-miles eastward and a Simandou-scale corridor now on the drawing board in Central Africa, the second half of the decade could see Atlantic iron ore exports — and the capesize demand they generate — grow materially faster than any period since the Brazilian and West African booms of the 2010s.