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European leaders are confronting the urgent need to diversify energy supplies away from Russia, while also somehow keeping to their commitments to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, that they made – indeed pioneered – at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, just four months ago.  African Energy examines the options and projects under discussion including gas and electricity imports and hydrogen prospects.

President Filipe Nyusi announced a major reshuffle on 4 March, with changes including the appointment of a new prime minister and a new mineral resources and energy minister.

South Africa’s Gigajoule expects its $550m Matola LNG import terminal to reach financial close by end-2022, with construction starting soon after.

Utility Electricidade de Moçambique (EdM) is preparing a feasibility study to interconnect its grid with Tanzania. EdM director of electrification and projects Daniel Guambe said the project should contribute to the expansion of the Mozambican transmission network’s backbone.

The Brilho off-grid renewables initiative, managed by Dutch development organisation SNV,  has launched its second call for applications.

Mozambique’s hopes for attracting interest to its sixth licensing round need to be set against the increasingly pressing environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals set by international oil companies (IOCs).

The 3.4m t/yr Coral-Sul floating liquified natural gas (FLNG) vessel has arrived offshore Mozambique, France’s Technip Energies announced on 2 February. The ship had left South Korea in November. The FLNG will be used by the Eni-led Coral LNG project in Area 4 of the Rovuma Basin.

The Maputo government is trying to attract more majors to its offshore acreage, just as industry giants TotalEnergies and Eni ready themselves for further development of their rival liquified natural gas projects in the politically unstable north, writes James Gavin

Electricidade de Mocambique (EDM) has issued a tender for consultants to carry out feasibility studies for a floating solar PV project on the 38MW Chicamba hydroelectric power dam, the largest HEP facility owned by the utility.

The $36m, 19MWp (15MWac) Cuamba solar PV project, which includes a 2MW (7MWh) battery energy storage system (Bess), has reached financial close according to developer Globeleq, which is in partnership with Lusophone Africa private equity investor Source Energia and state utility Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) (AE 452/11, 441/11).

Great Lakes Africa Energy (GLAE) is pressing forward with the first phase of a 250MW gas power plant in Mozambique. The company – part of Humphrey Kariuki’s Janus Continental Group – signed a 30-year concession agreement in November and is in talks over a power purchase agreement (PPA) for the 50MW first phase.

The closing of the 450MW Temane power plant’s $652.3m debt financing shows that well-structured gas-fired projects can be aligned with developmental goals and international climate concerns to promote a just energy transition in Africa, writes Dan Marks.

The government’s National Petroleum Institute (INP) launched a sixth licensing round on 25 November, covering 16 new oil and gas blocs. Results are expected to be announced in October 2022.

Soundings are under way with potential strategic investors to take a major equity stake in the planned 1.5GW Mphanda Nkuwa (MNK) hydroelectric power (HEP) project, with a request for proposals from potential build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) partners to be issued possibly as soon as December, but more likely in early 2022

Mozambique’s liquefied natural gas projects are gaining traction once more, with a floating LNG vessel on its way to the Eni-led project in Area 4 and security improvements and changes in the commercial landscape making a restart at TotalEnergies’ scheme in Area 1 more likely by mid-2022.