Mozambique´s gas finds are expected to fuel the southern region of Africa, where many countries are battling to meet ever-increasing energy demands.

Mozambique, which currently used 13 000 GWh of its 17 000 GWh electricity output – generated mostly from hydropower – was already a net exporter, particularly to South Africa.

And, despite Zimbabwe´s 10.25-billion-tonne coal potential, the Southern African country could exploit its gas reserves and develop a gas-to-liquid (GTL) plant, using gas as an alternative to coal, John Hollaway and Associates consultant John Hollaway said on Friday.

Speaking at the second Zimbabwe Energy Future conference, in Johanesburg, he said many coal projects had faltered on the back of poor quality coal, with only the Hwange region boasting about 2.1-billion tonnes of coking coal potential.