Chicamba and Mavuzi rehabilitation nears completion

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Chicamba and Mavuzi rehabilitation nears completion

8:33 CAT | 24 Oct 2016

Noticias

The rehabilitation of the hydroelectric power stations at the Chicamba and Mavuzi dams on the Revue river in the central Mozambican province of Manica is nearing completion and the two power stations should be fully operational by December, according to the coordinator of the project, Abraao Rafael, cited in Friday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”.

Rafael, who is also deputy director of projects in the national electricity company, EDM, said that, of the seven generator groups at Chicamba and Mavuzi, five have now been reconditioned, three of which are now operating fully.

The rehabilitation will add around 17 megawatts to the generating capacity of the two stations. The maximum capacity of Chicamba will rise from 38 to 44 megawatts, and that of Mavuzi from 30 to 41 megawatts.

In addition, the rehabilitation work will extend the useful life of the two power stations. Mavuzi dates from the 1950s and Chicamba was completed in 1968. Their age means that much of the installed equipment was obsolete. The type of generator used no longer exists on the international market.

The obsolescent equipment meant that the two power stations could have stopped working at any moment. The new machinery now installed should last for at least 30 years. The generators, turbines, cooling, command and control systems have all been overhauled, as has the fire fighting and prevention equipment. The entire rehabilitation was budgeted at rather more than 120 million US dollars.

EDM uses Chicamba and Mavuzi to supply electricity to Manica and Sofala provinces, including the cities of Beira and Chimoio, but there is only sufficient power when interconnected with the line from the Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambezi, at the Chibata substation.

Source: AIM