Mozambique is speeding up the implementation of various power generation projects to meet the demand of the region and the Mozal aluminium smelting plant, the newspaper Noticias reported on Monday 29 January.
The newspaper says that with an estimated capacity of 900 megawatts (MW), the energy consumed by Mozal is mainly supplied by Eskom via the Motraco line, and the contract between the parties expires in 2026.
It is in this context that the aluminium smelting company is looking for domestic alternatives to supply electricity in the coming years.
According to the executive director of Business Development Portfolio at Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), Pedro Nguelume, negotiations with the multinational Mozal are well underway. “An inter-ministerial group is carrying out the study and will give the appropriate answers so that Mozal, as an industry, can have electricity to operate,” he said.
According to the source, the parties have been discussing better alternatives and the viability of projects like Mphanda Nkuwa, which require customers with the financial muscle to pay for electricity consumption.
At the moment, Mozambique has an installed capacity of 2,400 MW and could reach approximately 2,800 MW with the completion of the Temane plant in Inhambane.
Adding the energy to be generated from Mphanda Nkuwa, the country will have 4,300 MW, enough to meet development needs, and 40 per cent of the energy from this development will be absorbed internally.
Pedro Nguelume explained that over the next few years, Mozal’s production levels could rise from the current 560 to 600,000 tonnes of aluminium per year, as a result of the investments that have been implemented at the plant.
To this end, the company intends to invest in new partnerships to develop power generation projects to guarantee a continuous supply of high-quality electricity over the long term.
