The Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Plant (HCB), located in Tete Province, central Mozambique, announced on Wednesday (22) its intention to build a technological museum aimed at “preserving and showcasing the history” of one of Africa’s largest engineering projects. The initiative also seeks to project the company’s future through innovation and scientific knowledge.
According to the public tender notice, HCB plans to create “a benchmark technological museum, designed as an iconic infrastructure serving society, dedicated to preserving and disseminating the history of the enterprise and projecting the future through innovation.” The document marks the beginning of the project’s conceptual development process.
The same notice highlights that the future museum “should stand as a cultural and architectural landmark, incorporating physical, digital, and traveling solutions.” The new infrastructure will also serve “as a platform for promoting cultural and scientific tourism, strengthening the link between technology, community, and territory.”
HCB is described as “one of the greatest engineering works in Africa and a symbol of Mozambique’s and the region’s energy, technological, and sustainable development.” The notice further emphasizes that “its legacy constitutes an industrial archaeological heritage of high historical, scientific, and cultural value, and is also a driving force in the development of the town of Songo, in Tete Province.”
The museum will include various facilities, such as a restoration and conservation workshop, spaces for temporary and permanent exhibitions, a library, an auditorium, and an interactive area for promoting educational and scientific activities.
According to official data, HCB provides more than 80% of Mozambique’s electricity production, also supplying neighboring countries. Since 2007, the company has paid about 1.8 billion USD (approximately 116.7 billion meticais) to the Mozambican State, contributing significantly to the national economy.
The company is 90% owned by the Mozambican government, 7.5% by Portugal’s Redes Energéticas Nacionais, and 2.5% by Electricidade de Moçambique. It operates in Africa’s fourth-largest reservoir, covering 2,700 square kilometers with an average depth of 26 meters. HCB employs around 800 workers and plays a key role in the country’s energy sector and economic development.
Source: Lusa
