Hydroelectric plant is to invest EUR 40 million

The Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Plant will invest EUR 40 million modernising a substation in order to improve the quality of energy exported to South Africa, the company says in a statement.The substation is located in Songo, next to the Cahora Bassa dam, and is the cause of a  sharp degradation in the conversion of alternating into direct current for export to South Africa, the HCB explains.

The Brownfield Project has been assigned the task of modernising the substation, the second phase of which is the subject of today’s announcement.

“With the Brownfield Project, HCB essentially aims to minimise the risk of reducing the availability and reliability of the energy conversion system,” the company adds.

Among other things, the acquisition of a new 400kV converter transformer, the rehabilitation of 15 other converting transformers and the import and installation of an emergency generator are currently underway.HCB has also launched a public tender for the third phase of the work, which will run from 2018 to 2026.The modernisation of Cahora Bassa is part of an overall plan called Capex Vital, budgeted at EUR 500 million. This is “a strategic planning tool with a ten-year horizon that aims to optimise the production and transportation of energy”, HCB explains.