Chitima power station

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The Chitima power station is a proposed 600-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power station in Mozambique.

It likely replaced a previous 120 MW power station proposal referred to as the Cahora Bassa power station.

Location

The map below shows the company's current or former camp in Chitima, Cahora Bassa district, and provides an approximate location for where the proposed plant could be built.

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Background

120 MW Cahora Bassa power station

In November 2014, mining company Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation (ENRC) Mozambique, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan-based ENRC, said it was negotiating with the government of Mozambique to build a power plant. The coal-fired plant would provide energy to power the company’s operations, with the remainder sold to Mozambique’s state electricity company or exported. The proposed project included production of liquid fuels from coal and 120 megawatts of electricity to be sold in Mozambique and possibly to Zambia.

The announcement came as ENRC Mozambique signed a contract with the government of Mozambique for coal mining in an area of 23,760 hectares in the Cahora Bassa district of the northwestern province of Tete. The company said it expected to mine 25 million tonnes of coal per year for 25 years. The power station would be built at the mouth of the mine.

In August 2018, it was reported that direct intervention by Cahora Bassa district administrator Ana Maria Beressone had led to a resettlement agreement for the project. The agreement was signed on July 5 and identified both farm and residential land for 721 families. The project was described as a plan "to mine coal in Chissua, Tete, and burn it on the spot to generate electricity to sell to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo".

Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), a privately held company, acquired ENRC following its delisting from the London Stock Exchange.

With no developments since August 2018, the 120 MW project appears to be shelved.

600 MW Chitima power station

As of June 2021, ERG Africa's website noted the group was "developing a thermal coal project in Mozambique that is due to deliver up to 600MW of power." The website advertised that "African mining will benefit significantly from Chinese investment over the coming years" and discussed the "Chitima - Mozambique Thermal Coal Project," an "investment-ready opportunity to develop a 2 x 300MW power plant, powered by coal extracted from a single open cast coal mine on the Chitima licence at 2.5 - 2.6 Mtpa run-of-mine volumes for over 25 years."

Like the 120 MW proposal, the Chitima power station would be related to ERG's operations and beyond: "Chitima is a coal-fired power supplier in development for Mozambique and Central Africa, including ERGA’s Copperbelt operations. ERGA commenced the Mozambique Integrated Coal Power Project in Tete province as alternative power for its operations. Large-scale, coal-fired generation can contribute reliable and stable baseload power to a region stricken by power deficits, including a susceptibility of the existing baseload hydro-generation to drought events."

Chissua, Tete (noted above), and Chitima, Tete, appear to be the same location or close by.

As of November 2022, ERG's website had been reorganized. However, ERG was still advertising the project: "Chitima is our investment-ready energy coal asset exhibiting a significant resource base and good development potential. The project, located in the Tete province, is currently in the feasibility stage with the option of developing a mine-mouth 2 x 300MW power plant. We welcome strong strategic partnerships to unlock the resource potential of our portfolio in a responsible and sustainable manner."

Project Details

• Sponsor: Eurasian Resources Group (ERG)
• Parent company: ERG
• Location: Chitima, Cahora Bassa district, Tete province, Mozambique
• Coordinates: -15.7630028,32.8751382 (approximate)
• Status: Announced
• Capacity: 2 x 300 MW (formerly 120 MW)
• Type:
• Projected in service:
• Coal Type:
• Coal Source: Cahora Bossa, Mozambique
• Source of financing:

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