Mavuzi and Chicamba power stations in Manica: US$120 million rehabilitation complete

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Mavuzi and Chicamba power stations in Manica: US$120 million rehabilitation complete

7:38 CAT | 28 Feb 2017

Noticias

The Mavuzi and Chicamba hydro-electric power stations, on the Revue river in the central Mozambican province of Manica, have been delivered to the publicly owned electricity company, EDM, after complete rehabilitation, reports Monday’s issue of the Maputo daily “Noticias”.

Rehabilitation and modernization of the two power stations was in the hands of a consortium of French and Norwegian companies. It cost around US$120 million and took about three years. Although they will not be formally re-inaugurated until late March, they are already in use.

According to the project coordinator, Abraao Rafael, who is also EDM’s deputy director for electrification and projects, the final certificate testifying to receiving the stations after their rehabilitation was signed on 20 February.

The rehabilitation dealt mainly with the generator groups, turbines, cooling systems, command and control equipment, and fire-fighting gear.

EDM uses Chicamba and Mavuzi to supply electricity to Manica and the neighbouring province of Sofala, and the power is only sufficient with the interconnection with the Chibata sub-station which draws its power from the Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambezi.

The modernisation was important in order to prolong the life of the two power stations, which were in danger of shutting down entirely due to the obsolescence of their components. Because the original parts no longer exist on the international market, the consortium had to design and make new parts. EDM claims that the work has given Chicamba and Mavuzi an additional 30 years of useful life.

The work also allows the stations to generate almost 20 megawatts more than they could prior to the rehabilitation. Thus the maximum generating capacity at Chicamba has risen from 38 to 44 megawatts, and that at Mavuzi has risen from 30 to 41 megawatts.

Source: AIM