The chairperson of Mozambique’s publicly owned electricity company, EDM, Marcelino Alberto, on 5 April announced that the Zambian government has paid off its debt of US$22 million to EDM.
Alberto was speaking during a visit by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema to the Maputo Thermal Power Station which is owned by EDM. This power station, inaugurated in 2018, is the largest investment in electricity generation for 30 years, and it can generate 106 megawatts of power.
Alberto said a project is on the drawing board envisaging the interconnection of the Mozambican and Zambian electricity grids. A viability study has been carried out, and measures are underway to mobilise the funds necessary. Alberto said the interconnection will require 376 kilometres of 400 kV transmission line. This will cost US$411 million.
When the Zambian government stopped paying its accumulated electricity debt, in 2018 EDM halted all further supplies. Now that the debt has been paid, Alberto said, negotiations are underway for the resumption of electricity supplies. The debt had once stood at US$75 million but Zambia had gradually paid off the other US$53 million.
