24 June 2009
Maputo — Natural gas from the Temane and Pande gas fields, in the southern Mozambican province of Inhambane, is to be piped to homes in Maputo city and the surrounding area by 2012 as part of a government programme to expand the number of users of this natural resource.
To this end, the government approved a decree on Tuesday establishing the terms and conditions for a contract between the state and the publicly-owned National Hydrocarbon Company (ENH) for the distribution and marketing of natural gas in Maputo, in the district of Marracuene, immediately north of the city, and also in the Inhambane districts of Inhassoro, Vilankulo, and Govuro.
According to the government's spokesperson, Deputy Education Minister Luis Covane, to meet the objectives of gas distribution, the plan is to build a pipeline from Ressano Garcia, on the border with South Africa, to Maputo, and this work is expected to be finished by May 2011.
The main gas pipeline runs from the gas treatment plant at Temane to Seconda in South Africa. This will be the second spur running off the main pipeline. The first goes to the city of Matola, where natural gas is already being used by several industries, including the Mozal aluminium smelter.
Covane said that the pipeline is budgeted at 69 million US dollars, while the distribution network inside Maputo will cost a further 12 million dollars.
He added that the government decree "will help improve the living conditions of Mozambicans by using competitive and environment-friendly fuels, in both Maputo city and Inhambane province".
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