Maputo — The two diesel fired back-up power stations that can provide Maputo with electricity in the event of interruption to the normal power supply are being converted to run on natural gas, according to a report in Monday's issue of the Maputo daily "Noticias".

The publicly owned electricity company, EDM, has signed a memorandum of intentions with the National Hydrocarbon Company (ENH) to provide gas for these power stations.

The gas comes from the southern province of Inhambane, where it is extracted and treated by the South African petrochemical company Sasol. Most of the gas is exported along a pipeline to South Africa, but there is also a branch of the pipeline taking gas to the city of Matola. Some industries, notably the Mozal aluminium smelter, are already using the gas.

The two power stations can, between them, currently generate 60 megawatts of power. Once they have been converted to run on natural gas they will enable EDM to make considerable savings, since the gas will be much cheaper than imported diesel.

Augusto de Sousa Fernando, EDM's director for generation and transmission, said that after the conversion, the two power stations can be switched on at peak times, to cover any deficit. The power Maputo uses at the moment comes mostly from the Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambezi, but is routed via South Africa.

The gas required is available. ENH chairperson Nelson Ocuane told the paper that ENH has 2.5 million gigajoules of gas a year to sell to EDM.

"Now we are dealing with the technical questions of the project", he said, "but I think that if all goes well, we can begin supplying gas to EDM as from 2011".

This project will make it viable to extend the current pipeline from Matola to Maputo. That extension is budgeted at 20 million US dollars. A gas distribution network in Maputo will cost another seven million dollars, and a further extension to Marracuene district would cost 2.5 million dollars.