Global legal practice, Norton Rose Fulbright, is advising the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) on the development of the regional interconnector transmission line between Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa (MoZiSA) that will result in improved trade within the Southern African region. That involvement begins with the initial feasibility phase and continues right through to financial close.
The project will develop, construct and operate a 400kV transmission system over 935km through the proposed MoZiSA link made up of beneficiary countries: Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. MoZiSA is sponsored by the member countries’ national power utilities, Electricidade de Mocambique, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority and Eskom and will take about two years to complete.
Steven Gamble, senior lawyer in our Africa Group in Harare, comments:
“The unprecedented growth in the utilisation of electricity in Southern Africa in the last 10 years is largely a result of the boom in prices of natural resources. Until recently the region enjoyed a long period of excess generation capacity and sufficient transmission facilities to carry power from the generation facilities to the customers.”
“But, since 2007 the region has run out of excess generation capacity and many regional transmission lines are congested. There is a will among the various SAPP member utilities to cooperate in developing new generation and transmission facilities to increase the efficient utilisation of sustainable and other sources of energy that exist throughout Southern Africa, and to bring development to the people of the region.”
Richard Metcalf, partner in London comments:
“I’m delighted that we are able to be involved in this historic mandate. It will undoubtedly be a game-changer in terms of connecting power generators and consumers across the region with a resulting stimulus of economic activity for all participating countries.”
The cross border Norton Rose Fulbright team is being led from Zimbabwe, Johannesburg and London. Steven Gamble is working with partner Jackie Midlane and associates Zaida Kathrada and Malibuye Cossie in Johannesburg. The London team is led by partner Richard Metcalf.
Norton Rose Fulbright is part of an advisory group on this project comprising KPMG, GIBB and TAP.