The Mphanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric Project, being developed in Tete Province, could generate over 8,000 jobs for young people during its first implementation phase. The information was shared this Thursday (3rd) in a press interview by Carlos Yum, Director-General of the Mphanda Nkuwa Project Implementation Office (GMNK).
According to Yum, feasibility studies are currently underway to determine the final conditions for the project to move forward. The project involves building a dam on the Zambezi River, covering the districts of Marara, Cahora Bassa, and Chiúta.
Valued at 320 billion meticais (5 billion USD), the project follows a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) model, with financial closure expected in 2027 and commercial operations set to begin in 2032. The dam will be built about 61 km downstream from the Cahora Bassa Dam and will include a high-voltage transmission line of approximately 1,300 km, running from Tete to Maputo.
The project represents the largest public-private infrastructure investment ever undertaken in Mozambique and is seen as a cornerstone of the national strategy to position the country as a regional exporter of clean energy. The government has been presenting the initiative to international investors, including during a recent session in London, in partnership with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, as part of Mission 300 and the National Energy Compact.
Among the involved partners are Électricité de France, TotalEnergies, and Sumitomo Corporation, as well as institutions such as the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB). According to the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Estevão Pale, Mphanda Nkuwa is a national priority that aligns internal objectives with regional challenges in economic development, energy integration, and climate resilience. The project aims to expand energy access, diversify generation sources, and promote green industrialization.
During the same statement, Carlos Yum also referred to the partnership with FUNAI, the entity involved in the feasibility studies and technological solutions.
“We will continue working with FUNAI, the organization that brought us this far. They conducted the feasibility study and proposed various technological solutions. They have extensive experience in community implementation,” he said.
Yum added that the planned social investment is estimated at 504 to 630 million meticais (8 to 10 million USD) over three years, with an expected impact even greater than that amount.
Source: Rádio Moçambique