The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy of Mozambique, through the Mphanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric Project Implementation Office, has chosen a consortium consisting of Électricité de France (EDF), TotalEnergies, Sumitomo Corporation, and Kansai Electric Power as the preferred bidder for a 1,500 MW hydropower project on the Zambezi River. The $4.5 billion project will include the construction of a hydroelectric dam 60km downstream of the Cahora Bassa dam and a 1,300km high-voltage energy transmission network between Cataxia and Maputo as from 2024.
The project will be financed by the African Development Bank and the International Finance Corporation and is expected to boost energy reliability for both Mozambique and southern African countries including Zimbabwe, South Africa and Botswana which import electricity from Mozambique.
The selection of the bidder paves the way for the commencement of negotiations and signing of concession agreements for the project.