New gas pipeline for Maputo port

Construction of a two-km long gas pipeline to receive domestic gas from Maputo port is to be completed by April, according to Mozambican fuel importer Importadora Moçambicana de Combustíveis (Imopetro).

The head of Imopetro, Manuel Braga, said that the pipeline could allow Maputo to receive ships carrying domestic gas, meaning that Mozambique would no longer be reliant on imports over land from South Africa.

Although Mozambique is one of the main gas producers in southern Africa, as it does not have a refinery it depends on imports of liquid petroleum gas (LPG), and exports much of its unrefined gas.

Most of the gas extracted at Temane, in the southern coastal province of Inhambane, is sold to South Africa. However some gas is now piped to factories in Matola in the south of the country, and there are plans afoot to pipe gas to residential areas in Maputo and Matola.
 
Significant gas deposits were recently discovered in the Rovumna Basin
off the coast of the northern province of Cabo Delgado, but authorities say that refining plants are unlikely to be operational before 2018.