Representatives of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency in Mozambique, JICA, recently visited the site of the Mphanda Nkuwa Dam, in Tete province, to learn more about the project’s environmental and social plans and to interact with the communities, local and provincial authorities.
During the same visit, JICA met with the Mphanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric Project Implementation Office, GMNK, in Maputo, and learnt about the progress and structuring of the project.
The meeting also discussed various aspects of institutional capacity building and the development of a masterplan, technical training for Mozambican staff in the energy sector, in coordination with EDM and the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Plant.
The Mphanda Nkuwa dam will connect Tete to the capital Maputo via a transmission line of around 1,300 kilometres.
With construction scheduled to start this year, the Mphanda Nkuwa Dam should have its first turbine in operation by 2031.
The Franco-Japanese consortium represented by TotalEnergies and Sumitomo Corporation is the majority shareholder in the project, with a 70 per cent stake, while Mozambique’s energy concessionaire (EDM) and Hidroeléctrica de Cahora-Bassa (HCB) control the remaining 30 per cent.
Mphanda Nkuwa has an estimated cost of 4.5 billion dollars, of which the Mozambican government is contributing 30 per cent. The project also has the support of various partners, including the French Development Agency, the South African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank.
With the start-up of Mpanda Nkuwa, HCB will continue to be the largest in the country, with a current production capacity of 2,075 MW.
O.Económico
