LosHechos

The President of the Republic of Mozambique, Daniel
Francisco Chapo, presented yesterday in Brussels an ambitious strategic
vision to transform Mozambique into a central pillar of energy
and logistics in Southern Africa. During a high-level roundtable
with the Belgian Federal Government and business leaders, the Head of State
highlighted the potential of green industrialization and natural gas
megaprojects as drivers of an unprecedented
economic transformation.
The meeting, focused on the global energy transition, served to
cement partnerships in sectors where Belgium holds global leadership,
such as port management and digital innovation.

In the hydrocarbons sector, the Mozambican leader detailed
the progress of projects in the Rovuma Basin, in Cabo Delgado.
The stabilization of security in the north of the country was a crucial point of
the discussion, allowing for the revitalization of stalled projects,
such as that of TotalEnergies. This project began around 2017,
but had to be suspended due to the terrorist threat. Last
year, however, we decided it was very important to resume the
project. Last month, in February, we were in Afungi, in the
province of Cabo Delgado, to restart operations.”
The president’s optimism also extended to the partnership with the
United States, with concrete plans for the short term, as he
mentioned the project led by ExxonMobil. “We are currently
in talks with ExxonMobil and believe that, possibly in
August or September, we will be able to jointly announce the final
investment decision for this project,” the president stated before an
audience of Belgian investors interested in the gas value chain.
Beyond gas, Mozambique reaffirmed its commitment to
renewable energy, positioning itself as a solution to the
regional energy deficit.
“In the SADC region, Mozambique has the potential to become a
true energy hub,” argued the President of the Republic,
highlighting the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Plant as a source of
clean energy that already supplies six neighboring countries. Consequently, he invited the
private sector to join the Mphanda Nkuwa project, which will have a
capacity of 1,500 megawatts.
The national industrialization strategy will involve, according to the Head of
State, the intelligent use of domestic resources to create
added value. “With our domestic gas, we want to promote
industrialization. We want to produce fertilizers, support the
industrialization of the country, and develop various power plants and
transmission lines to supply Mozambique and the region,”
he explained, also referring to the new Temane power plant in
Inhambane as a key piece of this puzzle.


Economic diversification was another key theme of the speech, with a focus on
agriculture and tourism. The Mozambican President highlighted the vast
expanses of arable land and the 2,700 kilometers of
Mozambican coastline, calling for Belgian investment to ensure
food security and to explore the potential of conservation
areas, such as Gorongosa and Niassa, which are home to the
biodiversity of the “Big Five.”
On the logistics front, Mozambique presented its three
development corridors (Maputo, Beira, and Nacala) as gateways
to the interior of the continent.
President Chapo emphasized the modernization of the Port of Nacala,
one of the best deep-water ports in the region, and the intention
to strengthen the digitization of infrastructure. “We want to invest in
the digitization of logistics infrastructure, creating new digital
corridors that complement the development corridors,”
he stated.

Accompanied by the Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation,
Américo Muchanga, the President of the Republic emphasized that
Mozambique’s ambition is also technological.
“Our ambition is to transform Mozambique into a digital hub for
the SADC region. We want to establish data centers in the country,
taking advantage of the availability of energy to serve not only
Mozambique but also neighboring countries,” he declared, emphasizing
the country’s openness to public-private partnerships to realize this
vision.
The meeting concluded with a direct invitation to business leaders from
Belgium, known for their expertise in green industrialization and
port logistics. President Daniel Chapo reiterated that the country
has a clear strategy and a welcoming business environment:
“We are open to working with the private sector—both from
Mozambique and from Belgium and other countries—to develop
our economy and create investment opportunities. Therefore,
you are all welcome in Mozambique.”