Biggest gas-fired power plant in the country to begin commercial operation in 2025 – EDM
The Temane Thermal Power Plant (CTT), the largest gas-fired power station in Mozambique, will begin commercial operations in January 2025, according to a document from Eletricidade de Moçambique (EDM), consulted by Lusa this Tuesday.
Located in Inhassoro district, Inhambane province the Temane Power Plant will, according to the state-owned power utility, produce 450 MegaWatts (MW) of electrical energy using the natural gas reserves of Pande and Temane, for a period of 25 years, increasing the country’s installed electricity production capacity by “around 16%”.
EDM aims to guarantee access to electricity for more than 1.5 million families by 2030, within the scope of the Government’s universal access to energy program, and also contribute to boosting national industrialization, as well as consolidating Mozambique’s position as a regional energy hub in the Southern African region.
Construction of the project began in March 2022, including a transport line to the province of Maputo, with a length of 563 kilometres, and budgeted at more than 400 million dollars (373 million euros).
The Temane Thermal Power Plant is budgeted at US$650 million (plus €606 million) according to data from Globeleq, a multinational with a majority stake in infrastructure.
In addition to natural gas, the project will reuse the steam generated by that resource to produce an additional amount of electrical energy, which will be supplied to EDM for distribution on the national market. The surplus will be exported to the southern African region.
EDM clarifies that the process of integration, verification and testing of all the plant’s machinery is now scheduled for June, “due to delays by the contractor and the occurrence of tropical storm Filipo, which had a negative impact on the progress of the works”.
Storm Filipo hit Mozambique in March.
According to the EDM information, the selection and hiring of professionals who will operate the machines at the Central Térmica de Temane (CTT) is underway, with the power utility acknowledging a delay in the process.
“All our skills and competence will be put to the test, but we still have the opportunity to make it work and manage the infrastructure responsibly, safeguarding EDM’s good name”, said the executive administrator for the business development area of the company EDM, Pedro Nguelume, regarding the challenges in training human resources to respond to the operationalization of CTT.
