TotalEnergies and partners EDF and Sumitomo Corporation have embarked on a joint venture to develop the Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project (MNK). The consortium, comprising EDF (40%), TotalEnergies (30%), and Sumitomo Corporation (30%), has been chosen by the Mozambican government as a strategic partner for this initiative.
The MNK project on the Zambezi River, 60 kilometers downstream from Cahora Bassa and near Tete City, is envisioned as a 1,500 megawatts (MW) run-of-river hydropower project. The consortium has already made progress, having signed:
1. A joint development agreement with the Gabinete de Implementação do Projecto Hidroeléctrico de Mphanda Nkuwa (GMNK), Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), and Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB). In this arrangement, EDM and HCB will hold a 30% stake in the project, with the remaining 70% owned by the consortium.
2. A framework agreement with the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME), sets the stage for a future concession agreement.
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The consortium brings together EDF’s extensive knowledge in hydropower, TotalEnergies’ track record in developing large-scale integrated energy projects globally, and Sumitomo’s expertise in financing strategic Independent Power Projects (IPP) projects, including those in Sub-Saharan Africa.
This project is poised to boost Mozambique’s electricity production capacity by over 50%, potentially providing power to more than three million households in Mozambique and the surrounding region. It is expected to catalyze growth in Southern Africa and contribute meaningfully to the region’s energy transition.
The next phase of the project involves conducting additional studies to assess environmental and social impacts and ensure the technical and financial feasibility of the project. The project is receiving support from the African Development Bank and the World Bank through IFC (International Finance Corporation).
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“TotalEnergies is delighted to be able to expand its presence in Mozambique beyond the Mozambique LNG project with a large investment in renewable energy, which will benefit the people of Mozambique. It is a new example of TotalEnergies’s ability to implement its multi-energy strategy in oil & gas countries to support them in their energy transition”, said Mike Sangster, SVP Africa and Vincent Stoquart, SVP Renewables at TotalEnergies.
TotalEnergies said it is developing a cost-competitive portfolio of renewable energy sources, including solar, onshore, and offshore wind. TotalEnergies has achieved a gross renewable electricity generation capacity of 22 gigawatts (GW), with plans to expand to 35 GW by 2025 and exceed 100 terawatt hours (TWh) of net electricity production by 2030.
