East African country, Mozambique, has declared that a public consultation has started for the 200MW power plant in Nacala-Porto district, located in Nampula province of the country.
The planned power project will use natural gas to help meet the growing electricity demand in the country.
The consultation process began after the Mozambican government approved the implementation proposal for the project, which is being led by Azura Power and NOR Energy.
The first of several public consultation sessions, coordinated by IMPACTO, was held last week.
The session was attended by key stakeholders, including government officials, technicians from the Nacala Municipal Council, community leaders, and other relevant entities.
According to local sources, the consultations aim to produce an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) that will serve as the basis for a final decision on the project.
A representative from IMPACTO, Luciana Santos, stated that the main goals of building the power plant are to improve electricity access, curtail gas flaring, and reduce transmission costs through more efficient routes.
“This natural gas power plant project is fully aligned with the Mozambican government’s objectives to strengthen energy production capacity based on more sustainable sources,” Santos said.
Power situation in Mozambique
Mozambique has vast natural gas resources and exports electricity to neighboring countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.
However, only about 40% of its population currently has access to electricity,
Some of the contributing factors include:
- Degraded transmission lines
- Increased domestic consumption
- Unstable production
- Extreme weather conditions
Meanwhile, Morchido Daúdo Momade, administrator of the Nacala-Porto district, assured the public that the government would create favorable conditions to ensure the project’s success, while also upholding environmental protection and legal standards.
In 2024, Mozambique earned approximately $431 million from electricity exports to South Africa and Zambia alone.
The 2,075MW Cahora Bassa hydropower project remains the country’s largest power generation asset and ranks among the largest dam projects in Africa..
However, its output is expected to decline by 1.3% this year due to scheduled maintenance.
The 200MW Nacala-Porto gas-fired power plant is expected to deliver electricity to parts of Nampula province currently underserved by Cahora Bassa.
