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HCB Guarantees: ‘Cahora Bassa Is Not in Danger of Running Out of Water’

HCB Guarantees: ‘Cahora Bassa Is Not in Danger of Running Out of Water’

The Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Plant (HCB), the company responsible for managing the Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambezi River in Tete province, has assured that there is no imminent risk of interrupting energy production due to a shortage of water in the reservoir, the Agência de Informação de Moçambique (AIM) reported .

The agency explains that there are allegations, attributed to ‘senior sources’ within the company, that the useful water storage capacity of the reservoir is below 5 per cent. Should the drought in the region, caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, worsen, HCB could be forced to suspend electricity production.

In response, HCB’s management issued a statement guaranteeing that the current level of water in the reservoir is over 21 per cent.

‘At the end of the first period of the 2024-2025 rainy season, the height of the reservoir was 305.2 metres above mean sea level, which is equivalent to 21.19% of the useful water storage,’ HCB said.

The document adds that, according to the seasonal climate forecasts of SARCOF-29 (Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum – 29), there is a high probability of the occurrence of the La Niña phenomenon until the end of the 2024-2025 rainy season. This phenomenon, particularly between January and March, could bring normal rainfall to the Zambezi Basin region.

AIM reported that there are also allegations that HCB discharged water from the reservoir unnecessarily between September and December. However, HCB’s management has vehemently refuted these accusations, stating that no water was discharged in 2024.

According to the company, by the end of 2025 it expects to recover sufficient storage levels to guarantee the production of electricity to meet the needs of the country and the region.

HCB also pointed out that, in 2024, it reached a total production of 15,75 Gigawatts, despite facing adverse hydroclimatic conditions caused by the severe drought associated with El Niño.

According to Tomás Matola, chairman of HCB’s Board of Directors, the company expects to hand over around 18.4 billion meticals (292 million dollars) in fees and taxes to the state coffers, with an expected record profit of around 14.2 billion meticals (225 million dollars) in 2024.

‘HCB’s performance reaffirms its structuring and strategic role in Mozambique’s development and in improving the living conditions of Mozambicans,’ concluded Matola.

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