Mota-Engil SGPS SA is set to sign a 30-year concession with the Democratic Republic of Congo to operate a key copper and cobalt railway. The deal covers the rehabilitation and management of the Congolese portion of the Lobito Corridor, an infrastructure project aimed at increasing exports of critical minerals to Western markets. Portugal's biggest construction company is already part of a consortium operating a connecting rail line in neighboring Angola that runs to an Atlantic Ocean port.

The agreement potentially includes up to $1 billion in US financing. This deal represents a significant expansion of Mota-Engil's operations in the region and underscores growing Western investment in Congolese mineral supply chains.