MOZAMBIQUE- Thursday, 10th of August, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to Kuikila Investments, Lda., an independent power developer in Mozambique. The grant supports a feasibility study for a 78-megawatt mobile, gas-fired thermal power plant in the Chokwé District of Mozambique’s Gaza Province.
Mozambique reportedly has the third-largest amount of proven natural gas reserves in Africa, and the sector presents tremendous export opportunities for U.S. industry. Kuikila selected Washington, D.C.-based Delphos International, Ltd., an independent financial services firm, to conduct the feasibility study. This project, according to plan, will meet Mozambique’s power demand by developing and modernizing the country’s generation and transmission infrastructure.
“USTDA’s support will enable Mozambique to get domestic gas-fired power projects online expeditiously,” said USTDA’s Acting Director Thomas R. Hardy. “At the same time, the project creates opportunities for a significant amount of U.S. equipment exports. We are pleased to cooperate on this important initiative.”
“Kuikila has been working with the Government of Mozambique for five years on various gas-fired thermal power plants supporting the country’s development through reliable and affordable power,” said Diogo Vaz Guedes, Chairman and CEO of Kuikila. “This grant represents an affirmation of our efforts. We are pleased to partner with USTDA and Delphos to accelerate the process of getting this project to financial close.”
Acting Director Hardy signed the grant along with Mr. Vaz Guedes at the African Growth and Opportunity Act Forum in Lomé, Togo. At the ceremony, USTDA also announced support for an upcoming reverse trade mission that will highlight U.S. technologies in “fast power” (e.g., mobile generation) projects for African delegates this fall.
Meanwhile, in reports reaching from Sierra Leone, the new Representative of UNICEF in Sierra Leone, Dr Hamid El-Bashir Ibrahim, has been officially received by the Government of Sierra Leone at a meeting to present his credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr Samura M. W. Kamara, on Monday, 7th of August.
Dr El-Bashir, a Sudanese national, was previously the UNICEF Representative in Eritrea (2009–2013) and Zambia (2013–2017), and has worked for UNICEF in many different countries since joining in 1995. Before this, Dr. El-Bashir served as Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Khartoum from 1988-1995.
“It’s a privilege to serve the cause of women and children in Sierra Leone and I’m really excited about working with the Government and partners over the coming years as we work for the sustainable development of the country,” said Dr El-Bashir. “With the amazing work already done as part of the post-Ebola recovery, I think we’re in a good position to bring about life-changing improvements for the children of this country.”
Reporter: Ridwan A Olayiwola
