AfDB Approves US$33.3 million Grant For Mozambique Transmission Line Project

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a US$33.3 million grant to implement the Songo-Matambo electricity transmission line project in the Tete province in west-central Mozambique.

The project entails constructing a 118km 400kV high-voltage single-circuit transmission line from Songo to Matambo. This line will traverse the future Cataxa substation site, intended to integrate the planned 1,500MW Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower plant in the Marara district of Tete province, situated on the Zambezi River. The Songo-Matambo line will consist of self-supporting steel mesh overhead towers carrying a horizontal conductor configuration with a 2,300MW energy transport capacity.

Additionally, the project includes expanding the Songo substation by extending the 220kV busbar, installing a new 600MVA 220/220kV phase shift transformer, and a 3x200MVA 220/400 (300) kV step-up transformer for grid flow regulation, along with refurbishing the current 3x200 MVA 220/400 (300) kV transformer. The Matambo substation will undergo expansion, accompanied by a new 400kV feed supply for the 400kV Matambo extension, facilitating the integration of the 400kV line from Songo.

Part of the broader Mozambique Regional Transmission Backbone (STE) scheme, the Songo-Matambo project aims to transmit power from the northern generation hubs to southern load centers, supporting electricity trade within the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP).