Page 7 - AfrElec Week 27

AfrElec POLICY AfrElec

New EDM head aims for 2030

for universal power access

MOZAMBIQUE MOZAMBIQUE’S state-owned Electricidade Key electricity distribution projects also
de Moçambique (EDM) has reiterated its desire include the 400kV transmission lines from
to achieve universal access to power by 2030. Temane to Maputo, and from Chimuara to Alto
The target was announced as EDM’s new Molocue, in Zambezia Province, and the 110kV
chair Marcelino Gildo Alberto took over the line from Chibabava to Vilanculo.
company’s board. Alberto said that EDM was prepared to
The country’s Prime Minster Carlos Agost- implement the projects. The company had
inho do Rosário said that Gildo Alberto and already succeeded in powering most of the dis-
EDM needed to prioritise the Energy for All pro- trict capitals of Mozambique and the next phase
gramme, which seeks to bring electrical power for EDM is to continue to expand the electricity
within reach of all citizens by the year 2030, network in the country.
which will require about 400,000 new electricity He said that more than 100 administrative
connections per year. posts will be electrified in the current five-year
“Implementing these and other structuring period (2020-2024).
projects will require from the new chairperson This will require investment of $120mn. “The
and from all EDM workers redoubled commit- government is willing to finance part of this sum
ment,” said Prime Minister Rosario. and, naturally, we shall have to look towards our
The 2030 goal will be reached through the co-operation partners, who have helped us a
400MW gas-fired power station under con- great deal. They helped us in the electrification of
struction at Temane and the Metoro solar power the districts, and we believe they will continue to
station in Cabo Delgado, which should generate finance part of this programme,” Alberto said.™
40MW.

RURAL ELECTRIFICATION

Rural electrification surges forward in Togo

TOGO THE Togolese Rural Electrification and Renew- One of the pillars of its renewable energy
able Energy Agency (AT2ER) has been ranked development policy is the rural electrification
third in the UK’s Ashden 2020 Prize for its programme using solar kits, known as Cizo.
renewable energy development policy. It was launched in December 2017. Through
The Togolese Rural Electrification and Cizo, the Togolese government intends to elec-
Renewable Energy Agency (AT2ER) is one of trify 2mn people living in rural areas within 5
the 11 winners of the Ashden 2020 Award in the years. The initiative has already distributed indi-
category “systemic innovation for energy access”. vidual solar kits to 35,000 households.
“This year we were looking for people who The Togolese government subsidises about
are working to rapidly decarbonise our world 40% of the monthly consumption package, with
while improving living conditions and who are more than €3.52 euros ($4) per household.
working to find solutions to the climate emer- The solar kits are supplied by five companies
gency, through new products and services and that have decided to join the Cizo programme.
behavioural change. It’s been done,” Ashden said They are Bboxx, Soleva, Fenix international, Sol-
in a statement. ergie and Moon.
Togo has great ambitions in terms of energy. Still within the framework of the Cizo pro-
As a member of the International Solar Alliance gramme, the President of the Republic of Togo
(ISA), the country plans to provide its popula- laid the foundation stone of a new photovoltaic
tion with 100% electricity coverage by 2030, (PV) solar power station in Blitta, a town located
50% of which will be produced from renewable in the centre of Togo, on July 3, 2020.
sources. Named Mohamed Bin Zayed, the installation
Togo is now in the deployment phase of its will have a 50MWp capacity. The work will be
programme, which combines the extension of carried out by the UAE’s independent power
the electricity grid, the installation of rural mini- producer (IPP) Amea Power. It is expected to be
grids and solar home systems, and the installa- completed in October 2020.™
tion of solar power plants.

Week 27 09•July•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P7