Mozambique will have a refinery with the capacity to produce 200,000 barrels a day of liquid fuels. According to the President of the Republic, the project should be implemented in 24 months.

The agreement was signed between the Mozambican company PETROMOC and the Aiteo Eastern E&P Company group, for the construction of a modular refinery with the capacity to process 200,000 barrels per day.

This project, to be implemented over a maximum period of 24 months, will increase storage capacity by 160,000 metric tons for liquid fuels and 24,000 metric tons for LPG - Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

"This is a transformative project that will position Mozambique as a relevant player in the liquid fuels value chain," said the Head of State during the opening of the Mozambique mining and energy conference today.

The other agreement, to be signed during the conference, involves Mozambique and Zambia and provides for the development of a gas pipeline between Beira (Mozambique) and Ndola (Zambia), with an investment of 1.5 billion US dollars.

The infrastructure will make it possible to transport up to 3.5 million tons of oil products a year and will significantly reduce road traffic on National Road Number 6 (EN6), contributing to road safety and logistical efficiency.

President Chapo also highlighted the progress of megaprojects such as Coral Norte FLNG, with an investment of seven billion dollars, and the resumption of the Mozambique LNG project, valued at around 20 billion dollars.

"Efforts are being made to get the Rovuma LNG Project, worth 27 billion dollars, off the ground next year," he said.

The sector's upward trajectory was underlined with concrete data: growth of 12% in mining production by 2024, 117 shipments exported from the South Coral FLNG, and 563,000 new energy connections, which raised the access rate from 53.4% to 60.1% .

The head of the Mozambican government also highlighted progress on the Temane Thermal Power Plant project and the launch of the Petrochemical City project in Inhambane.

Despite the progress, he recognized persistent challenges, such as informality and irregularities in artisanal mining and the low contribution of large projects to the national economy.

"There is a need to review and update the benefits for the country, with an emphasis on local Mozambican communities," he stressed, calling for greater social responsibility and local content.

On the institutional front, the President of the Republic announced ongoing legal reforms, including the revision of the Mining Law, the Petroleum Law and the creation of the Mining Promotion Agency.

"These reforms aim to ensure a more attractive environment for investment [...] and a fairer distribution of gains for the state and local communities," he said.

The regional dimension of energy integration was also highlighted. Mozambique is today the largest producer of hydroelectricity in southern Africa and supplies energy to several neighboring countries.

"Our vision is that our projects, especially those linked to energy, should serve the country and the region," he said, adding that "regional integration will never succeed until we can provide enough energy in quantity and quality for our countries and our people."

At the end of his speech, President Chapo said that the motto of the conference, "Investing in a New Era: Transforming Mozambique's Natural Resources to Boost Industrialization and Regional Integration", represents a call for coordinated and transformative action.

"History will demand concrete results from us, which will translate into an improvement in the living conditions of Mozambicans [...] and the promotion of true economic and social justice," he concluded.