Country: Mozambique

Hawilti released an important new study on Gas for Africa in partnership with the International Gas Union (IGU), assessing the potential for domestic gas resources to energise Africa in line with the global energy transition. The African Energy Commission (AU-AFREC) and the Africa Finance Corporation endorse the report and its findings. The study starts by analysing current energy poverty trends in Africa, a continent with the lowest electricity per capita consumption in the world and the lowest CO2 per capita emissions. It argues for a pragmatic use of natural gas reserves to support a broad industrial and economic development of Africa in a way that is sustainable and enables a just energy transition. Mickael Vogel, Director & Head of Research, Hawilti “Energy poverty in Africa often boils down to the number of people without access to electricity – 600 million, or without access to clean cooking – 970 million. Unfortunately, this assessment misses the point and can lead to responses and solutions that are ill-adapted to Africa’s development needs. As it argues for a better use of gas, the report calls for more ambitious targets around energy access so that we can both bridge Africa’s energy deficit but also support economic growth and industrialisation.” The ”Gas for Africa” report highlights several ways in which gas can have a positive impact on Africa’s socio-economic development including by switching away from coal and diesel, developing energy-intensive industries and gas-based industrialisation, displacing fuelwood and biomass in households, generating baseload electricity to integrate intermittent energies, and building gas systems that can be decarbonisable in the future with hydrogen, renewable gas, and CCUS. However, a pragmatic utilisation of Africa’s 18 Tcm of proven gas reserves – or 9% of the world’s reserves – calls for a reorientation towards domestic monetisation. Most of the gas produced in sub-Saharan Africa remains exported, with local consumption still limited because of limited infrastructure availability. Additional barriers include limited access to capital, security risks, and policy uncertaint.y To overcome these key barriers to development, a total of eight guiding principles are given as recommendations to help stakeholders and policy makers navigate the complexity of the gas industry: The full report is available for download here.

The oil & gas sector knows no break and has had its fair share of developments over the past two weeks. Here is what you need to know as you get back to the office. Mozambique has announced the results of its 6th Licensing Round On December 21st, Mozambique revealed the results of its 6th Licensing Round, which resulted in the award of only six blocks out of the 16 license areas that were proposed. The China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) secured five blocks over the Save and Angoche Basins and Eni Mozambique securing one license in the Angoche Basin. None of the areas within the Zambeze Basin were awarded. “The Exploration programs proposed for the first sub-period of the Exploration Period have the potential to allow investments amounting to approximately $369.8m, foreseeing the acquisition of 31,200 Km2 of 3D seismic, opening of a minimum of four wells in deep water, and other geoscientific studies,” the National Institute of Petroleum (INP) said in a statement. Nigeria has launched a Mini Bid Round for deep-water blocks On December 21st, Nigeria announced its Mini Bid Round 2022 and put seven deep-water blocks on offer covering some 6,700 km2. A pre-bid conference is scheduled for January 16th while pre-qualification applications mut be submitted by January 31st. Under the new PIA regime, the blocks on offer are PPL-300-DO (former OPL 312); PPL-301-DO (former OPL 313); PPL-302-DO (former OPL 314); PPL-303-DO, PPL-304-DO, and PPL-305-DO (the three used to form IPL 318); and PPL-306-DO (former OPL 327). This Mini Bid Round will be a test for Nigeria’s attractiveness and competitiveness after a full overhaul of its oil & gas regulatory regime with the adoption of the PIA in 2021. Eni has selected a provider for its second FLNG unit in Congo-Brazzaville On December 22nd, Eni announced the signing of a contract with Wison Heavy Industry of China for the construction and installation of a 2.4 mtpa floating LNG unit in the Republic of Congo, offshore Pointe Noire. The unit will be the second FLNG facility of Eni in Congo since the company expects to commission this year the 0.6 mtpa Tango FLNG vessel it acquired from Exmar a few months ago. Both units will be monetizing associated gas from the Marine XII permit. Total Gabon expanded its upstream portfolio in Central Africa On December 26th, TotalEnergies EP Gabon extended its presence in Gabon with the signing of a new Exploitation & Production Sharing Contract (EPSC) over the Baudroie-Merou-Marine G5-143 permit. The 25-year agreement will run until 2047. “We remain fully committed as an energy producer in Gabon. We will maintain our investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by valorising associated gas and will continue to implement actions to maintain our production,” said Henri-Max Ndong-Nzue, President of TotalEnergies EP Gabon.  Invictus Energy has finished drilling its first wildcat onshore Zimbabwe On January 3rd, Invictus Energy confirmed that technical and operational issues prevented a discovery at its Mukuyu-1 wildcat well onshore Zimbabwe. However, multiple potential gas bearing reservoir units were encountered and the well did prove the existence of a working hydrocarbons system. The Rig 202 is currently warm stacked on site for maintenance and upgrades and will recommence drilling operations later this year. Invictus Energy is considering an appraisal well (Mukuyu-2) or the drilling of Baobab-1. As a result, the contract with EXALO Drilling for the rig has been extended by another 12 months.

Eni has announced the departure of the first LNG cargo from its Coral Sul floating LNG facility offshore Mozambique on November 13th. The Italian major is operator of the project with partners ExxonMobil, CNPC, Galp Energia, KOGAS, and national oil company ENH. The project has come on stream in line with its initial budget and schedule, despite several constraints generated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Coral Sul FLNG unit has a capacity of 3.4 million tons per annum and is Mozambique’s first gas export project. Under an agreement signed with bp in October 2016, the British major will be the sole off-taker for the entire volumes of LNG produced by the Coral South project for a period of over twenty years. Eni revealed earlier this year that it was considering a second floating unit in the country in response of Europe’s needs to replace gas imports from Russia.

LSE-listed Ncondezi Energy announced last week that it has launched a feasibility study for up to 300 MW of solar PV power plant plus a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Mozambique. The project is planned in the country’s Tete Province where the company is already developing an integrated coal mine project under mining concession 5967C. The solar power plant is planned by its subsidiary, Ncondezi Green Power Holding, and would connect to the Mozambican grid to supply electricity to the country and the larget Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). WSP Group Africa has been selected to carry out the study, expected to last four months. Electricity production could then start as early as 2024. “The FS Study will take a modular design approach to the Solar Project allowing for greater flexibility including the potential for a scaled development programme of 30MW, 60MW, 100MW, 200MW and 300MW,” Ncondezi Energy said. In October last year, Ncondezi Energy had already commissioned its maiden commercial & industrial 400 kWP solar and 912 kWh battery storage project in Mozambique.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has announced the signing of a collaboration agreement with Mozambique’s Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME) on the implementation of the 1.5 GW Mphanda Nkuwa Hydropower Project and its associated transmission facilities. The $4.5bn project will be constructed in Mozambique’s central Tete Province that borders Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It will supply power both to the domestic market and to South Africa, and include a 1,300k high voltage transmission line connecting it to Maputo. Commissioning is expected in 2031. “IFC will work with the government in collaboration with GMNK to structure this important project, including the review of technical design, environmental safeguards, commercial and financial structuring,” the IFC said in a statement.

To support gas monetization in Mozambique, Sasol has signed today an agreement with the country’s National Investment Bank (BNI) and the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy to set up a $5m fund for the development and expansion of compressed natural gas (CNG) projects. The fund will be financed by Sasol and managed by BNI and open to any individuals or SMEs seeking to convert to gas. “The CNG Credit Line offers special conditions for those interested in converting their vehicles to natural gas, and for retailers wishing to equip their fuel stations with CNG refuelling units,” Sasol said. Sasol is notably expecting the credit line to benefit public transport operators seeking to decrease their reliance on diesel at a time when soaring global prices put pressure on net importers like Mozambique.

Following the evaluation of pre-qualification documents from thirteen bidders, Mozambique has pre-qualified 12 companies under its ongoing 6th Licensing Round. Only Nigerian independent Aiteo Exploration & Production did not meet the requirements for pre-qualification. Pre-qualified operators include three Chinese national oil companies (NOCs): CNOOC, Sinopec International and PetroChina International. The three international oil companies (IOCs) already present in the country, Eni, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies, also pre-qualified as operators. Under the 6th Licensing Round, companies are able to apply for Exploration and Production Concession Contracts (EPCC) after studying data licensed by the INP under standard Master Licensing Agreements (MLA). Most work commitment programmes include a first sub-period with seismic acquisition and a minimum spending of $5m. Drilling commitments must be made only when entering the second sub-period. To support bidders, the INP has made available 2D and 3D seismic datasets for Multi-Client licensing. These surveys cover both onshore and offshore areas and consist of 22,715 sq. km of 3D seismic, 41,905 km of offshore 2D seismic and 18,735 km of onshore 2D seismic.

Last week, President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi of Mozambique inaugurated the 41 MWp Metoro solar PV plant, built in the northern Cabo Delgado province. The $56m facility is owned by French IPP Neoen (75%) and state utility EDM (25%) and was built by Portuguese contractor Efacec. It was financed by a $40m debt package provided by the French Development Agency and its subsidiary Proparco. It is Mozambique’s largest solar plant and notably follows the inauguration of Scatec Solar’s 40 MW Mocuba solar plant in the Zambézia Province in 2019. Central Solar Metoro’s 121,500 PV modules are able to generate up to 69 GWh a year for the Mozambican grid, ensuring the consumption of some 140,000 people.

Janus Continental Group’s subsidiary Great Lakes Africa Energy (GL Africa Energy) has signed yesterday a Concession Agreement with Mozambique’s Energy Minister to finance, build and operate a 250 MW LNG-to-power plant in the country’s Nampula province. “The deal signals the start of a three-part phased investment. Initial phase will create 50MW capacity within 16 months. The second and third phases will add 200MW in total and will be completed within 24 months,” GL Africa Energy said in a statement shared with Hawilti. This will be GL Africa Energy’s biggest investment to date, developed under a 30-year public-private partnership with state-utility Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) as the off-taker. Electricity generated will then supply the entire Nacala corridor in Northern Mozambique. The $400m project has been in preparations for a while and was already subject to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) between both parties in May 2018. This had notably followed the result of Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin domestic gas tender, the results of which were announced in January 2017. The facility will be supplied from gas coming from Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin, where Eni’s 3.4 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) Coral South FLNG is expecting to achieve first gas next year. This is also where TotalEnergies is developing a 12.88 mtpa onshore LNG export terminal, where it expects to resume works in 2022 following the declaration of Force Majeure earlier this year. While the Coral South FLNG does not have a domestic gas allocation, Mozambique LNG has 100 MMscfd allocated to the domestic market. A Growing Gas-to-Power Market Gas-to-power in Mozambique is a relatively new industry but growing rapidly. The country’s first facilities emerged from the monetizing of royalty gas from the Mozambique-Secunda Gas Pipeline that has been exporting onshore gas to South Africa since 2004. In 2015, three facilities were commissioned including the 175 MW Central Térmica de Ressano Garcia, or CTRG, currently owned by Azura Power and EDM, Gigawatt’s 100 MW Ressano García facility and Kuvaninga’s 40.29 MW gas-to-power plant. EDM’s 110 MW Maputo facility followed in 2018. More recently, Globeleq has embarked on the development of the 420 MW Central Térmica de Temane (CTT) to monetise additional gas from Temane and Pande onshore Mozambique. The project is expected to be commissioned by 2025 and has already secured funding and approvals. Meanwhile, a consortium of TotalEnergies, the Gigajoule Group and Matola Gas has embarked on a very ambitious and integrated gas-to-power project in Maputo. It notably includes the deployment of a floating, storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in the city’s harbour to import gas and support the development of the new 2,000 MW Central Térmica de Beluluane (CTB). FID is expected in 2022, with Phase 1 targeting 500 MW. Details on Mozambique’s gas-to-power projects are available in the “Projects” section within your Hawilti+ research terminal.

TotalEnergies has delayed the commissioning and first gas at its $20bn Mozambique LNG project from 2024 to 2026 following the declaration of Force Majeure earlier this year. The 12.88 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) onshore terminal reached FID in 2019 and was under-construction when the Islamist insurgency in Cabo Delgado in the north of Mozambique forced TotalEnergies to shut down activity. This leaves the southern African country with only one LNG terminal to be commissioned in the first half of this decade, Eni’s Coral South FLNG. The project relies on a floating LNG (FLNG) vessel and is unaffected by instability and insurgency around the city of Palma. The 3.4 mtpa FLNG unit is expected to start producing gas in 2022 with a final investment decision (FID) on phase 2 expected before 2030. Meanwhile, there is still no visibility on the future of the 15.2 mtpa Rovuma LNG onshore terminal where FID was expected to be taken by ExxonMobil and Eni in 2020 but was also delayed following changing market dynamics and the Covid-19 pandemic. Mozambique entered the current decade with firm ambitions to become a major LNG exporter by 2025. The country was expected to reach a double-digit growth of 11.1% in 2024 and 2025 following the commissioning of Mozambique LNG. Such revisions will now have to be revised downward. Details on the Coral South FLNG, Mozambique LNG and Rovuma LNG projects are available in the “Projects” section within your Hawilti+ research terminal.