Mozambique's energy future is a crucial topic, centred on strengthening the sector and expanding access across its diverse landscape. As the country works towards a more inclusive and sustainable energy system, gas engines are proving to be a reliable, adaptable, and efficient technology.
At Wärtsilä, we are committed to supporting this journey, utilising our innovative technologies and global experience to help Mozambique power its future; a topic that will be central to discussions at the upcoming Mozambique Gas & Energy Summit & Exhibition.
Mozambique’s abundant gas reserves and increasing demand for resilient power make gas engines a pivotal technology in defining its energy future. In regions where the central grid is unavailable or unreliable, decentralised gas engine power plants offer a flexible solution.
They are built for versatility and can be deployed for various applications, whether powering industries in Nacala, supporting mining operations in Tete, or electrifying remote communities. This modular design allows for seamless scaling with demand, making them suitable for both small-scale deployments and larger energy clusters. These off-grid solutions provide a dependable and efficient lifeline, fostering economic development and bringing energy equity to underserved populations.
Our commitment to Mozambique is demonstrated by our involvement in the Central Térmica de Ressano Garcia (CTRG1). This power plant, utilising Wärtsilä gas engines, is a significant power generation asset in the region, helping to meet electricity demand. Wärtsilä was involved in the project in 2014 as an engineering, procurement, and construction contractor and also provided initial operations and maintenance services for the facility.
The CTRG plant is a 175 MW Wärtsilä gas engine-fired power station located in Ressano Garcia and was one of the largest of its kind in Africa when it was built. It runs on natural gas from Mozambique's Pande and Temane gas fields. The plant is regarded as a crucial asset for supplying reliable, low-carbon electricity to the region, supporting economic development.
Gas engines do not compete with renewables; they are a strategic enabler of a cleaner energy future. Wärtsilä's gas engine technology is designed for providing base load when needed as well as grid support and rapid response, capable of achieving full power from a cold start in under two minutes. This swift response is essential for stabilising the system and preventing outages, especially when renewables are not producing. Our engines are also designed for operational flexibility, capable of handling unlimited start and stop cycles without affecting their performance or maintenance schedules. In hybrid systems, they provide the necessary balance when the sun does not shine or the wind does not blow, helping Mozambique achieve its long-term decarbonisation goals.
Our support extends beyond initial installation. Wärtsilä's Expertise Centres, a global network of seven locations, provide operational support, maintenance management, and analytics for customers. Using a combination of big data, artificial intelligence, and expert human knowledge, these centres offer predictive maintenance and operational support to optimise asset performance, prevent unexpected downtime, and enhance efficiency for power plants like the one at CTRG.
Through tools like Wärtsilä Expert Insight, we provide remote support and data analytics to identify potential failures and anomalous equipment behaviour before they cause
disruptions. This enables us to move beyond static maintenance schedules to a more dynamic, predictive approach based on real-time data, ensuring our customers’ assets operate at their peak potential.
Wärtsilä has an in-depth understanding of the African market, with offices and/or customers in 53 African countries. We have one of the largest engine power plant installed base on the continent. For the mining sector alone, we have installed 460 MW of power generation across 16 different mines in 10 countries, with a total installed base of 7.6 GW. Globally, our track record includes 79 GW of power plant capacity in 180 countries.
The mining and energy sectors are deeply interconnected. Reliable energy supply is vital for mining operations, as any shutdown can have significant safety and financial repercussions. We believe in creating legacy solutions for all our customers, helping them accelerate their decarbonisation advances through our market-leading technologies and power system modelling expertise. This includes future-fuel enabled balancing power plants, hybrid solutions, energy storage systems, and optimisation technology, such as the GEMS platform.
*Today, Central Térmica de Ressano Garcia, S.A. (“CTRG”), is a Mozambican joint venture company between Azura Power (“Azura”) with 49%, Electricidade de Moçambique, E.P. (“EDM”) with 46%, with the remaining 5% held in treasury at CTRG. CTRG operates a 175 MW (gross) gas-fired power plant located at Ressano Garcia in the Moamba District in the Province of Maputo.
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