The United Kingdom will provide around €424,000 to strengthen technical assistance for the development of the Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric project, an infrastructure considered strategic for boosting Mozambique’s energy capacity, the Lusa news agency reported.
The financial support, equivalent to 500,000 US dollars (€424,000), stems from a memorandum of understanding signed between the Mphanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric Project Implementation Office (GMNK) and the British High Commission during the recent visit to the country by the UK’s Trade Envoy, MP Calvin Bailey.
According to a statement released by the British consulate, the funding will be channelled through the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI). “The financial support provided by the UK Government will be implemented by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), which will provide specialised technical assistance to the GMNK over a six-month period,” the communiqué published on the official website of the British consulate said.
The statement adds that the TBI’s intervention will primarily aim to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of the Project Implementation Office. “The TBI will provide specialised technical assistance to the GMNK for a period of six months, with the objective of supporting the institutional and technical development of the hydroelectric project,” the note states.
The Mphanda Nkuwa project is part of Mozambique’s strategy to increase electricity production and diversify its energy mix. The construction of a power plant with an installed capacity of 1,500 megawatts is planned, with operations expected to begin in 2031.
The project also includes the construction of a high-voltage power transmission line, estimated to be between 1,350 and 1,400 kilometres long, linking Tete Province in the centre of the country to the city of Maputo in the south.
On 8 July, the government authorised the state-owned companies Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) and Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) to each acquire up to 15% of the share capital of the future power plant, in a project valued overall at around €4.5 billion.
