Friday, March 29, 2024

Zambia and Mozambique sign deal for construction of a 1,200 megawatts Coal Powered plant

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President Edgar Lungu and his Mozambique counterpart Filipe Nyusi during official talks in Maputo
President Edgar Lungu and his Mozambique counterpart Filipe Nyusi during official talks in Maputo

A COAL-POWERED plant to produce 1,200 megawatts of electricity will be built in Mozambique and it will benefit Zambia.

The intention was put on paper yesterday with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two countries.

The MoU was signed by Zambia’s Minister of Energy Dora Siliya and her Mozambican counterpart Pedro Couto during a closed-door meeting chaired by President Lungu and Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi on Thursday night.

Mozambican Minister of Foreign Affairs Oldomino Baloi said the plant will benefit the two countries.

“The MoU is a framework to guide the construction of the coal-powered power plant. We have, however, not yet reached the implementation stage,” said Mr Baloi.

The MoU was among several bilateral agreements signed to enhance the energy, agriculture, and transportation sectors.

Speaking at a joint media briefing, Zambia’s Foreign Affairs minister Harry Kalaba said in the energy sector, Zambia stands to benefit from the coal plant that Mozambique will build in the port city of Nacala.

Other MoUs signed were in commerce and trade, infrastructure development as well as peace and security.

The two countries would like to enhance co-operation and finding solutions to common challenges they are facing in key sectors.

Mr Kalaba said Zambia has imported 15,000 metric tonnes of cashew nut seedlings from Mozambique to boost and diversify agriculture activities.

Mr Kalaba said the move is aimed at empowering small-scale farmers in Zambia and Mozambique.

He said this is also key to wealth creation among youths in both countries.

He said the two countries are hoping to increase trade between them and that Zambia remains committed to all the values that both countries share in the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC).

“The meeting was cordial and Zambia and Mozambique are intertwined because they share various interests at various fora. We have more convergences unlike divergences,” said Mr Kalaba.

Mr Kalaba said the high-level meeting had “re-ignited and strengthened” long-standing historical ties between the two countries since 1975.

President Edgar Lungu chat with his Mozambique counterpart Filipe Nyusi during a state banquet at state house in Maputo
President Edgar Lungu chat with his Mozambique counterpart Filipe Nyusi during a state banquet at state house in Maputo

And Mr Baloi said Zambia is a country with deep historical ties for Mozambique’s political independence.

Mr Baloi described the ties as being at the highest level in various levels of co-operation because of Zambia’s significant contribution to Mozambique’s political independence.

He said there is need for both countries to ensure that they focus on implementing value addition to agriculture products and other raw materials they produce.

“Of concern is the value addition chain and ensuring that there is efficient transportation of these goods to enhance and increase trade between our two countries,” said Mr Baloi.

President Edgar Lungu being welcomed at Maputo international airport by Minister for international relations Oldomino Baloi on arrival at Maputo International Airport for a two day state visit.
President Edgar Lungu being welcomed at Maputo international airport by Minister for international relations Oldomino Baloi on arrival at Maputo International Airport for a two day state visit.

And President Lungu has said his visit to Mozambique has evoked interesting thoughts as both countries and the incumbent heads of State share a lot in common.

Mr Lungu said he and Mr Nyusi were erstwhile ministers of Defence before being elected as republican Presidents, and that both countries share significant socio-economic and cultural similarities.

“We are also sharing common challenges such as drought and we would like to share common experiences and find solutions in our countries and at regional level as SADC,” he said.

President Lungu said this before a closed-door high-level bilateral meeting at the Mozambique Office of the President.

President Nyusi said Zambia and Mozambique have long-standing historical bilateral ties.

Mr Nyusi said it is not possible to discuss Mozambique’s political independence without mentioning the involvement of Zambia under its first republican President, Kenneth Kaunda.

“Zambia is a sister country with deep historical ties of our liberation for political independence,” he said.

39 COMMENTS

  1. Great deal.

    They deserve another 5 years based on this positive news.

    If not MS best lungs is judged in 2021 you can judge someone only after 1 year – it’s insanity

    Thanks
    Bb2014

    • How many power deals are you going to sign???? damn!,, this is like a headless chicken running to nowhere in desperation!! you have coal in mamba for goodness sake!!! you have a lots of waterfalls in Zambia much clearner energy!!!
      can someone sit down and think,,, how can you solve the problem locally rather than running to the neighbours to beg all the time,,,,

    • HH would have made the mocabicans build that coal plant in Zambia, using mocabican money,because we ready to feed it with alot of coal from mamba, now that would have been a great deal.

    • Almost one year of land shedding and Edgar with his inept cabinet still do not know how to solve the power deficit problem. PF has been in power almost 5 yrs, when they came construction at Maamba, Itezhi-tezhi and Kafue power stations as already in progress. Why have thee projects stalled? Board Chairman for ZESCO was Father Frank Bwalya…need I say more?

    • And Zambian are saying we have a CEO who has gone to negotiate on behalf of our country, the little short mocabican CEO has duped and dribbled him pants down, the deal is we will build, you will be importing power from us, when will Zambians learn to treat our country as a business entity, why should our country always get a raw deal from such agreements, as long as we have useless negotiators like him as CEO we are doomed.

    • Who’s paying ? More loans again ? Know vision for real . 5 years under PF Zambian government is $20 billion in debit . How dull should a government become ?

    • @Jacob read please, Mozambique provided cashew nuts seedlings and Zambia promised to build the coal plant.
      I think Mozambique is screwed, don’t kubeba!

    • We have sufficient coal deposits in Southern province to build 5,000MW power plant, and all this is near good water source, the Zambezi river and Kariba Dam. The jobs to mine the coal, transport it to power plant and to operate the power plant would all be in Zambia. This may sound brilliant to the ill informed, but nothing to write home about to energy experts.

    • Why is LT editing the picture why hide Dora Siliti Siliya who was sited next to Lungu.There is no deal there PF should just start working on new power projects not this issue of importing power.These lazy mangwams like quick fixing solution than permanent solution which Kaunda and mwanawasa were interested in.VIVA HH lets remove this visionless drunkard.

    • There is nothing to here …we have no money for this…by the time this is created we will have more than double the power in excess instead of putting money in renewable energy; this is simply an excuse by the dull lazy bum Edgar to have overnight energy meeting in his hotel suite with his minister.

  2. We are blessed to have such a president in zambia.God protect our president & cover him with the blood of Jesus Christ until he finish building an interdomination church.God bless zambia!God bless lungu

    • @EC, don’t insult Jesus, he is not PF. You have no idea how evil that guy Edgar can be… Do pray for him though.

  3. What a silly deal, this changwa has no business negotiation skills, everything in that deal will solely benefit mocabique, nyusi akuchaya njuka mweo alungu. It ain’t no deal.

  4. WRUNGU so clueless,visionless,brainless,hopeless,useless and a drunkard. Come back home and sort out the mealie meal and fuel shortage.
    No need to be told how you UNIP DAYS were because Wrungu has managed TO RELOAD UNIP DAYS. FLIGHT HH TO RETRIEVE THE WRECKED SHIP.

  5. Hangover at work, why can’t they build hydro power station localy to employe zambians ,lungu is a useless president in afrca

  6. Zambia outsources everything, even their common sense. Unless something is missing here I can see this MOU actually creating restrictions on what Zambia can do its coal going forward. Reminds me of how BP played a hand in sinking the airline by lobbying government to restrict where the airline got its fuel. It starts innocently like this…

  7. Coal is bad fuel, with a huge carbon footprint! You need clean energy source! Where is the source of this coal? Why is that these Zambian politicians get so excited every time like some retards on a special needs day out! These deals are dirty deals, bad for country and bad for posterity!

  8. All those saying it is a bad deal…..please explain to us! I don’t see any point in article above explaining details of this project.

    • The detail is clear, IT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED IN MOZAMBIQUE! Jobs will be based in Mozambique and you will have to pay to import power and importing power requires infrastructure, and is not cheap. Need more detail? COAL POWER IS OUTDATED, heavy pollution!!

    • It is a bad deal because it is taking away the publicity of our UPND President HH. If Lungu carries on doing good things like this, there will be nothing for our Haleisa to do, which will make him a yuzles President. We want Lungu to fail so that HH’s failure will not look too bad.

  9. Very weak PF leader: create jobs in Mozambique while Zambians lose jobs. Why not construct that plant in Zambia? We have enough coal.

  10. I feel very disturbed by this report. Who are the experts advising our government? Does it make economic sense to build a coal powered electricity generating plant in Mozambique, when coal is in Zambia? Do these people really know what they are doing, when our railway systems don’t work and the roads are deplorable states? And the import of cashew nut seedlings? Why, when you can easily buy the cashew nuts in pods very cheaply and generate the seedlings. If I can do it, why can’t the government with so many experts at their disposal. This is why we need to completely overhaul the Zambian educational system. It is producing graduates completely lacking knowledge and evaluation skills. What a mess!

  11. What we lack at times in Zambia are critical thinkers. We keep making plans and strategy for a short period of time. Coal is a non renewable resource and very harmful to the environment. Govt may not just manage to handle the cost that come with a coal plant, anyway let us wait and see!!!

    • The critical thinkers have been hijacked by dull Politicians who are driven by selfish political agendas…there is nothing in this deal….critical thinkers are a dying breed in our country even at the UNZA they are frustrated to the point where they migrate.

  12. This is Great news. With this Coal powered Plant Eastern Province and Muchinga Province are Covered. Thereby Freeing the Energy from resources from Kafue Gorge and Kariba for the Other Parts of Zambia. There is already a Coal Plant at Maamba under Tata whose Initial 300MW will further be expanded. Hydro Electric Plants are also been launched.
    in various areas of Zambia. Solar Panel Plants are being Launched in various parts with Solar Africa to establish a plant soon. What can UPND thugs tell me? Their Brains are blocked through a Spell from their Demi God. When their Demi God HH halucinates that Zambia is importing Maize at USD$500 Dollars per Tonne, It is Gospel Truth. These people have lost it big time.

  13. We have sufficient coal deposits in Southern province to build 5,000MW power plant, and all this is near good water source, the Zambezi river and Kariba Dam. The jobs to mine the coal, transport it to power plant and to operate the power plant would all be in Zambia. This may sound brilliant to the ill informed, but nothing to write home about to energy experts.

  14. Very good deal ba PF!!you indeed mean business for mother Zambia!!we never witnessed a quoter of what PF has done from 2011 during MMD’s 20yrs rule!!BRAVO ECL AND WE SHALL GIVE U MASS VOTERS AND SCARTER BY FIRE ALL BANTUSTANS WHO HAVE TEAMED UP IN UPND!!!GO PF GO!!

  15. Comment: @Mushota
    This is the least i expected from you. Surely what do you expect from someone in just one year in office. I hope others can think in this line. Once again thanks Mushota.

    • Be Real, PF has been in power for 5 years. It’s PF, not Lungu, although he had been part and parcel of the rubbish during all that time. Stop your weak excuses. PF had 5 years to implement is 90 day promises.

  16. Here is how it works. We mine the coal. JOBS. We transport it by rail.JOBS.We transmit power thru zesco lines.JOBS. and Mozambique will remain with the pollution. Thats a Smart Zambia. Create jobs and dont pollute your environment

    • Where are you going to transport it from and which rail? Do you know what pollution is and how it affects everyone…its this narrow mindedness that is taking the country nowhere…this is why we need G12 certificate too too many empty tins!!!

    • You are extravagantly dull. You think Zambia is on another planet, pollution is global, it harms the environment resulting in global warming, NOT a country. You have no rains in Zambia because of global warming caused by pollution that could have occurred in CHINA.

  17. There he is signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as if he has the funds…oh he will go and beg for a loan from the banks. Who is going to pay for it and at what price? And there is the brainless Kalaba talking about importing cashew nut seedlings when there are thousands of mature fruiting plantations dropping the nuts every year in Western Province…you got a loan from AfDB why not use part of that to start nurseries right there instead of importing and creating jobs elsewhere.

  18. Coal plants are expensive to run and highly anti-green, highly polutant. Thank God they are constructing it in Moz not in Zed

  19. This government has no money and they want to undertake this bad deal. If they are thinking of borrowing, there is no international institution that will fund a coal project.

  20. If coal is environmentally unfriendly, then it’s good it’s in MOZ. One job created in this Market will be better than Shoprite shelf filling. Plus the energy created is backup in the long term.

    • You are really a clueless clown! Here are a few things you have never heard about.
      1. The wind will blow all the pollution from east to west – straight into ZAMBIA!
      2. Coal power is MORE EXPENSIVE than hydro. Batoka will produce cheaper power and for longer.
      3. GLOBAL WARMING has been caused mainly by coal plants like this. And that causes DROUGHTS and no water in Kariba.

      What kind of world do you want our children to inherit? Lunges DISASTERS and DEBT? Wake up *****!

  21. UPND cadres, your Leader has been blaming the government for relying on hydro power and called for other sources including coal run power generation plants. Just because this is being initiated by ECL then its a bad move? if it came from your Kachema you would all have been showering praises. grow up ba UPND otherwise you will soon become irrelevant to the Zambian politics.

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