The Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Plant (HCB), Mozambique’s largest hydroelectric power producer is set to receive an upgrade which will increase the capacity of the turbines by more than 4% to 433 megawatts (MW) per unit.
Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), Mozambique’s leading hydropower generation company which operates the dam, has awarded the contract to Austrian firm, ANDRITZ to upgrade the country’s largest hydropower plant.
In a media release by ANDRITZ, the upgrade is meant to ensure the continued reliability of the plant to generate power.
“HCB’s rehabilitation project, called REABSUL II, aims to enhance the efficiency, reliability, availability, and maintainability of the plant,” ANDRITZ said in the statement.
While ANDRITZ didn’t specify the cost of the contract, the firm did say it is in the mid three-digit million-euro range.
As part of the upgrade works, ANDRITZ will deliver five new 480 MVA generators, five new Francis turbine runners, control and protection systems, and hydromechanical equipment.
The company said the contract covers design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning.
The upgrade work will be carried out in phases over a period of three years.
The first three years will focus on designing and producing the equipment and preparing the site.
Each generating unit will then be replaced individually to maintain continuous power generation.
ANDRITZ said the project will be challenging and will require coordination with the ongoing rehabilitation of the nearby Songo Converter Substation.
Meanwhile, HCB earlier said approximately $220 million is required for the rehabilitation of the Southern Power Plant (ReabSul-2).
Funding for the upgrade project will come from HCB’s sufficient financial reserves, with the remainder coming from its annual savings during the project implementation period.
As a contingency measure, a $100 million financing facility has been negotiated with the French Development Agency (AFD) which will be used to support and, if necessary, finance the project.
What to know about the plant
Cahora Bassa has an installed capacity of 2,075 MW with the potential for an increase of approximately 5% considering the rehabilitation and modernization projects being implemented throughout the power generation chain.
The power plant generates 2,075 MW of electricity, supplying power to Mozambique, South Africa, and other regional markets.
The Cahora Bassa reservoir has a maximum length of 270 kilometres and 30 kilometres between banks, occupying 2,700 square kilometres and an average depth of 26 metres, with almost 800 workers.
In the 2024 financial year, HCB earned a profit of $220 million, the largest profit in the history of the company.
In addition, success of the hydropower plant earned Mozambique $431 million from electricity exports to South Africa’s Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd and Zambia’s Zesco Limited in 2024.
