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AfrElec POLICY AfrElec
Mozambique to export
100MW to Botswana
ZIMBABWE MOZAMBIQUE and Botswana have signed an Masisi at a banquet he hosted for Nyusi.
agreement under which the former will supply Botswana has the largest elephant popu-
its southern African neighbour with 100MW of lation in Africa with some 130,000 animals
electricity on a non-firm basis over a year. while Mozambique’s herd has been decimated
The state-owned utilities, Botswana Power as a result of a number of reasons, among them
Corporation (BPC) and EDM, signed the agree- poaching. As a result, the National Adminis-
ment during Mozambique President Filipe tration for the Conservation Areas (ANAC),
Nyusi’s state visit to Botswana late last week, Mozambique’s biodiversity conservation body,
according to a report by Mozambique’s state recently reported that it lost 10,000 elephants
news agency AIM on Sunday (April 17), since 2009, Xinhua reports.
While the agreement seeks to meet the rising It was announced during Nyusi’s visit that
demand for electricity in Botswana, the feed will his country, Botswana and Zimbabwe have
be activated upon a request by Botswana and the agreed to invest $3mn in conducting a feasibility
availability of surplus power on the Mozambican study for the building of a deep-water port and a
grid. 1,100km railway line connecting the neighbour-
EDM chairperson Marcelino Alberto said ing countries.
Mozambique sees more market opportunities The $7bn project, expected to involve the pri-
once construction of a proposed gas-fired facil- vate sector, will begin at Techobanine, in south-
ity south of the country is complete around 2024. ern Mozambique, run through Zimbabwe to the
The 450MW plant will be built by Sasol, a South west and into Botswana further west.
African energy company operating in onshore “We have reached an agreement for each
gas fields in Inhambane, south of Mozambique. country, between the three, to invest $1mn to
“The electricity [from the 450MW plant] carry out the feasibility study,” Mozambique Tel-
will feed the Mozambican power market, and evision cited Masisi as saying.
the surplus will be exported. EDM’s strategy The aim, he said is to boost trade relations
is to generate foreign currency for the country between the three countries, facilitating the
through the export of electricity and to consol- export and import of products, particularly oil.
idate Mozambique’s position as a regional pole “We have the development of this port as a com-
for power generation,” AIM reports. mitment,” Mokgweetsi Masisi said.
In addition to the electricity deal, the two On his part, Nyusi expressed happiness at
countries also signed a deal for Botswana to the signed agreements. “We want to express our
translocate 500 baby elephants to Mozambique gratitude for the support that this country has
and for the latter to import 2mn doses of foot and been giving to Mozambique. It is not simple sol-
mouth disease vaccines. idarity, they support us in means and resources
“We look forward to their (elephants) subse- to mitigate the suffering of Mozambicans,” he
quent translocation to Mozambique in the near said.
future,” said Botswana President Mokgweetsi
Week 16 21•April•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P7
