Mozal ameaça interromper contratos devido ao impasse no preço de energia
Mozal threatens to interrupt contracts due to energy price impasse
The Mozal aluminum smelter, located on the outskirts of Maputo province, is threatening to interrupt the coating of aluminum smelting pots and contracts with contractors, starting this month, due to the impasse in negotiations over the new electricity price.
The information was released today by the Australian company South32, the unit's operator, in a statement signed by Rob Jackson, vice-president of supplies, considering the electricity price proposed for after March 2026, in the negotiations between the Mozambican government, Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) and the South African electricity company Eskom, to be "unfeasible".
"We will limit our investment in Mozal, interrupting the work of coating pots and stopping the work of associated contractors," South32 said in the note.
According to South32, historically, most of the electricity for Mozambique has been generated by the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Plant, which is majority-owned by the Government of the Republic of Mozambique. Under the current agreement, Eskom's electricity is supplied to Mozal when HCB is unable to meet all of Mozal's electricity needs.
"The new tariff under discussion would make Mozal internationally uncompetitive," adds the multinational, stressing that due to the impasse, the most likely scenario is that Mozal will operate until the end of the current electricity supply contract and be put into care and maintenance in March 2026.
In addition, the same document states that based on the commitments made, South32 has no confidence that Mozal will have enough electricity at competitive prices when the current agreement ends.
The Australian multinational points out that HCB has already indicated that the prevailing drought conditions have the potential to affect its production and the ability to supply Mozal with sufficient energy.
(Photo DR)
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