Mphanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric

Mphanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric (MNK) is a planned 1.5-GW run-of-river hydropower project to be located on the Zambezi River, 60 kilometres downstream from the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric plant and 60 kilometres from Tete city, Mozambique.

The project will be developed by a consortium formed by EDF, TotalEnergies and Sumitomo Corporation. Implementation will be carried out together with the Gabinete de Implementação do Projecto Hidroeléctrico de Mphanda Nkuwa (GMNK), Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) and Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB). 

In its role as a special-purpose supervisory entity, GMNK’s mandate is to align the project with Mozambique’s 2018-2043 Power System Development Master Plan, co-ordinating the development and implementation of MNK and its associated infrastructure, including the hydroelectric energy transport system. Among other duties, GMNK will be responsible for:

• Expediting specialist studies
• Legal and financial structuring
• Monitoring project costs and competitiveness 
• Creating opportunities for local stakeholders to play an active role in the project

Infrastructure to be developed includes an 86-metre concrete gravity dam, a power station with four 365-MW turbine units and a 1,300-kilometre high-voltage transmission line from the project site to Maputo. The power station will utilise water released by the Cahora Bassa hydropower plant located upstream. 

Upon completion, MNK is expected to increase Mozambique’s electricity generation capacity by more than 50% and to generate 8,600 GWh of electricity per year at full capacity, enough to power more than 3 million households in the country and the surrounding region.

Total investment is estimated at USD 4.5 billion. Financing for the project is being provided by the African Development Bank and the World Bank through IFC. The project is scheduled for completion in 2031.