Mozambique plans $126m solar plant to power Gaza province’s mining operations

Mozambique plans to invest around USD 126 million in a solar power plant to supply electricity to mining companies in Gaza Province, southern Mozambique, according to state news agency AIM.

Provincial governor Alfeu Cuna announced the plan at the Conference on Adding Value to Mineral Resources (CAVAME-d 2026) in Nacala. The project aims to strengthen electricity supply for mining operations and industries linked to mineral processing.

Gaza Province has heavy mineral sands deposits at Chibuto and limestone at Mabalane. The government is also planning mineral processing facilities in Mabalane and Mapai, where limestone deposits have been identified. Other mineral resources in the province could support cement production and related industries.

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Cuna pointed to existing substations at Lionde and Xai-Xai, along with transmission lines already in place, as part of the province’s electricity infrastructure.

Mozambique looks to increase local mineral processing

The solar plant is part of wider efforts to support mining and related industrial activities in Gaza Province. The provincial government is demarcating areas with mining potential to ease investment and land allocation. Officials are also considering a special economic zone near the international airport and mining areas to attract related businesses and industrial activities.

The province has road and rail connections, while a deep-water port is also planned to support logistics.

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Mozambique also produces aluminium and has explored opportunities to process more of its mineral resources domestically. Bauxite, the main raw material used to produce alumina for aluminium production, is found in Manica Province near the Zimbabwe border. According to the British Geological Survey, Mozambique mined 10,000 tonnes of bauxite in 2023, compared with 14,583 tonnes in 2022.

According to the International Energy Agency, Mozambique produced around 565,000 tonnes of aluminium in 2021, and the metal was the country’s second-largest export by value after coal.