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Environmental Licensing & Local Content in Mozambique
For industrial, energy and infrastructure projects, the environmental licence and the local content commitment usually set the critical path. Both should be planned at concept stage.
Categorisation sets the timeline
Projects are screened into categories that determine whether a simplified study or a full environmental and social impact assessment is required. Category drives cost and duration far more than project size does, and the categorisation should be tested before you commit to a schedule.
Consultation is a substantive step
Public consultation with affected communities is a formal requirement, not a formality, and resettlement or land use questions raised there can reshape a project. Handled early and honestly, it protects the licence; handled late, it delays it.
Local content expectations
Employment, training, procurement from Mozambican suppliers and reporting commitments feature in sector rules and in contract negotiations, particularly in extractives. We help build a plan you can actually deliver and evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Can we start construction while the licence is pending?
No. Commencing before the environmental licence is issued exposes the project to suspension and penalties, and undermines lender conditions.
Do you carry out the ESIA yourselves?
We manage the process and select and supervise accredited consultants, keeping the independence lenders expect.
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