Mozambican natural gas-fired power station nearing completion

Each generating set consists of a 20 cylinder natural gas fuelled Rolls Royce engine manufactured at the Bergen factory in Norway and an ABB generator. Each set weighs 140 tons and can produce 9,300kW.

Shipment of the 13 sets from Norway to Richards Bay in South Africa was completed in March and is now being transported by road to Mozambique.

Civil construction of the $200m project started in August 2014 with the foundations for the engines being completed in March 2015. The engineering, procurement and construction contract is executed by a consortium of WBHO and PB Power with TSK as the main sub-contractor.

The construction of the power station is on schedule and within budget and it should be in full production before the end of 2015.

Potential of natural gas

Johan de Vos, CEO of Gigajoule International, says the power station is a great example of the huge potential of natural gas as feedstock for power generation in Southern Africa. "Natural gas has proven to be the least damaging to the environment of all fossil fuel based energy sources and it is by far more cost-effective and energy efficient than any of its counterparts, coal, oil and diesel.

"The short lead time and ease of construction of gas fired power stations make them ideal to help solve the energy crisis that South Africa faces - in the short, medium and long-term."

De Vos says the massive natural gas reserves now discovered in northern Mozambique has the potential to meet all the energy needs of South Africa in the long-term.

Gigawatt Mozambique will supply the power to EDM (the Mozambican power utility) and natural gas will be delivered by Matola Gas Company, who is currently providing gas to more than 30 industries and three temporary gas-fired power stations in Mozambique.

The plant can supply electricity to the equivalent of 250,000 households and will make a substantial contribution to the Mozambican power supply capacity.