Mozambique: UK supports Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project

The United Kingdom will provide US$500,000 to strengthen technical assistance for the development of the Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project in Mozambique, considered strategic for the country’s energy sector. The US$500,000 support results from a memorandum of understanding signed between the Mphanda Nkuwa Hydropower Project Implementation Office (GMNK) and the British High Commission during the visit of the UK Trade Envoy, MP Calvin Bailey, earlier this month. “The financial support made available by the UK Government will be implemented by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), which will provide specialised technical assistance to GMNK over six months,” reads a statement released on Tuesday, 23 December 2025, on the official page of the British consulate on the social network Facebook.

The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change will provide specialised technical assistance to GMNK for a period of six months, aiming to support the institutional and technical development of the hydropower project. The Mphanda Nkuwa project is part of Mozambique’s strategy to strengthen energy production, with the future plant expected to have an installed capacity of 1,500 megawatts and begin operation in 2031. The enterprise also includes the construction of a high-voltage transmission line of approximately 1,350 to 1,400 kilometres, linking the province of Tete, in the centre of the country, to Maputo, in the south. On 8 July, the Mozambican Government authorised the state companies Electricidade de Moçambique and Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa to acquire up to 15% each of the share capital of the future plant, while the overall project is estimated to cost between US$6 billion and US$7 billion.