Turkish energy firm Karpowership is reportedly set to launch a floating, thermoelectric power plant in Mozambique, aiming to provide electricity to five million people within the country while also exporting power to neighbouring nations.

The ambitious project, which will see the conversion of the existing Powership in Nacala Bay to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG), is expected to cost the company US$1 billion in infrastructure investments, the local press has reported.  

Local publication Agência de Informação de Moçambique reported that at a recent media showcase in Maputo, Karpowership’s Commercial Director, Zaynep Yilmaz, said: “This plant can supply energy to around five million inhabitants and also export to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Zambia, injecting money back into the Mozambican economy. With its operation, thousands of jobs will be created for Mozambique’s young generation.”

The plant, which is expected to generate between 470 and 500 MW of energy, will use gas from Mozambique’s Temane field, processed through Karpowership’s Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU). The company announced that the generated power would be available to the entire South African Power Pool (SAPP).

The article claims that the South African state company Eskom was in discussions with the Mozambican publicly owned electricity company, EDM, to purchase the output from a 415 Megawatt Karpowership power station.

In response to claims that the Maputo operation could supply additional power to the country, Eskom told Energize: “We have not been approached by Karpowership to purchase additional power that may become available from their sale of power to Mozambique.”