Mozambique has just won World Bank’s support for its ambitious plan to construct Southern Africa’s biggest hydropower plant in half a century, the Mphanda Nkuwa Hydropower Project. In an interview with the World Bank President Ajay Banga, it was revealed that the global lender has set plans to provide assistance for the $5 billion Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric project that is located on the Zambezi River. Additionally, the World Bank will also support a related $1.4 billion power transmission project.
The World Bank plans to give debt and equity funding for the project. Additionally, it will provide risk guarantees and insurance for the $5 billion Mphanda Nkuwa plant on the Zambezi river and an associated $1.4 billion power transmission project, World Bank President Ajay Banga said in an interview in Mozambique.
Mphanda Nkuwa Hydropower Project Factsheet
Project name: Mphanda Nkuwa Hydropower Project
Location: Zambezi River, Tete Province.
Project type: Run-of-the-river hydroelectric facility.
Cost: $5 billion
Capacity: 1,500MW
Key components:
- Dam: it will be a 700m-long and 86m-high concrete gravity dam. Also, it will have a total of 13 flood gates.
- Reservoir: A 100km² reservoir will extend over 60km on the Zambezi River and approximately 18km on the Luia River.
- Powerhouse: the hydropower project will have a powerhouse that will be equipped with four Francis turbine units of 365MW each.
- Transmission line: A high-voltage transmission line stretching between 1,300 and 1,400 kilometers. The transmission line will connect Tete province in central Mozambique to the capital, Maputo, in the south.
Expected commissioning date: 2031
Capacity
The hydropower project is expected to have a capacity of 1,500 megawatts. Furthermore, it is scheduled to commence operations by 2031. The dam project will be supported by a $1.4 billion power transmission project.
The objective of this project is to deliver electricity connections to 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. Also, it is expected to considerably boost electricity access in an area where more than 80% of the world’s 680 million people without the energy source dwell.
“We want to be the hub of energy in our region, which is the Southern African Development Community,” Mozambique’s president stated.
Mphanda Nkuwa Hydropower Project Developers
Mphanda Nkuwa is being developed through a joint partnership between the Electricité de France SA, TotalEnergies SE, and Sumitomo Corp.
As for the Mozambican government and its Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa firm, they will own holdings.
Mozambique Rising to be a Major Energy Hub in the Region
Lastly, it is quite clear that Mozambique is rising to be a major power hub in the region. This is evident through the ambitious projects that the country is undertaking including TotalEnergies $20 billion LNG project and the Cahora Bassa rehabilitation project that was recently awarded to ANDRITZ. With the Mphanda Nkuwa Hydropower Project, this project will reinstate Mozambique’s title as a leading energy hub in the southern Africa region.
Also read: US Exim Bank Approves $4.7 Billion for Mozambique LNG Project
