President Daniel Chapo announced on Monday, 11 May, that a National Programme for the Mass Expansion of Vehicle Natural Gas (VNG) will be launched this year to respond to the challenges created by the fuel crisis.
Quoted by Lusa, the Head of State said that Mozambique is already a reference point in liquefied natural gas (LNG) production in Africa and is expected to become one of the continent’s top three producers by 2030, given the reserves being prepared for exploration in the Rovuma Basin, in Cabo Delgado Province, northern Mozambique.
“Still during this year, we will proceed with the launch of the National Vehicle Gas Expansion Programme. The gas from Temane, in Inhambane Province, and the gas from Cabo Delgado must serve to drive the Mozambican economy, reduce mobility costs, boost national industry and strengthen our energy and economic sovereignty,” he said.
Speaking during the ceremony for the delivery of 190 gas-powered buses, the President stressed that the Government had already anticipated a possible rise in fuel prices and, because Mozambique is a gas-producing country, decided to acquire vehicles powered by this resource.
“Vehicle gas, up to now, is only used in Maputo City and Province. We want to expand it to Inhambane and Gaza and, with Rovuma gas in the future, also extend it to the central and northern regions of our country,” he added.
Chapo also said the Government is working on legislation to encourage the use of hybrid and electric vehicles, while appealing for the rational use of fuel throughout the country.
“We call on the Mozambican people to remain united, vigilant and aware of this crisis,” he concluded.
Recently, the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Estêvão Pale, stated that the high cost of importing conversion parts is delaying the large-scale adoption of Vehicle Natural Gas in Mozambique, adding that the Government is seeking partners to invest in the sector.
“The conversion cost is often linked to the importation of the spare parts required, and for that we need to find import alternatives at lower prices. In this regard, we are looking for other potential partners that can also enter the market and facilitate this transition to vehicle gas,” the minister said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Autogás-2026 seminar, the official assured that the Executive is working to ensure the expansion of infrastructure becomes a reality, despite challenges in allocating resources to filling stations and conversion centres.
“It is known that the natural gas we have in the country is not unlimited, especially in the southern region, where reserves are tending to decline. But we are working with Autogás to make available as much as possible of what exists so that the use of vehicle gas becomes a reality,” he explained.
Meeting in Cabinet, the Government announced fuel price adjustments that came into force nationwide on Thursday, 7 May, justifying the revision as being aligned with international market prices.
“The price of petrol rises to 93.69 meticais per litre, from the previous 83.57 meticais, while diesel increases from 79.88 meticais to 116.25 meticais. Lighting paraffin rises from 66.86 meticais to 97.56 meticais per litre, cooking gas increases from 86.05 meticais to 87.82 meticais per kilogram, and vehicle natural gas rises from 41.11 meticais to 52.73 meticais per litre,” detailed the Chairperson of the Energy Regulatory Authority, Paulo da Graça.
