Page 11 - AfrElec Week 32 2021

AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec
Mozambique commissions more solar mini-grids
KENYA
MOZAMBIQUE President Filipe Nyusi has commissioned a 200-kW solar power plant in the province of Niassa as part of government plans to provide universal power access in the country.
The project, which is funded by the govern- ment’s Mozambican Energy Fund (FUNAE), involves 200-kWp solar project and a 5 km dis- tribution network.
The mini-grid system will be able to provide electricity to 400 families in the locality.
The government is planning to ensure that electricity reaches 10 million more consum- ers by 2024, and over 30 million, or the entire population, by 2030 through its “Energy for All” programme.
“We acknowledge that electricity is an important catalyst for the country’s social and economic development. It contributes to the flourishing of industry, increased production, and improved living conditions, and therefore through the “Energy for All” project, the gov- ernment will step up its interventions to boost access to electricity in the rural areas, focusing particularly on renewable sources,” Nyusi said.
He also visited Ngauma district in Niassa province where he inaugurated an electric power line.
The project involved the construction of 23 km of medium voltage line, 14 km of low voltage line, and four transformer stations.
The project has allowed for the installa- tion of 94 street lamps for public lighting and
electrification of several public buildings includ- ing a school, a health centre, two government buildings, seven shops, and two flour mills.
40% of the population in the country have access to electricity, 36% through the grid of the state-owned Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), and 4% through off-grid solar systems.
These stand-alone solutions are mainly installed for the electrification of rural house- holds in areas that are not yet connected to the national grid.
As well as small-scale projects, the country’s Renewable Energy Auction Programme (Pro- ler), implemented by Electricidade de Moçam- bique (EDM), in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), aims to add 120 MW of solar capacity at three utility-scale projects.
The EU-funded programme aims to generate 120 MW from three solar PV plants, including the one in Dondo. The other two will be built in Lichinga and Manje, in Niassa and Tete prov- inces respectively.
According to AFD, Proler will contribute to the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emis- sions in Mozambique.
According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Mozam- bique has an installed capacity of 2,827 MW, of which 2,184 MW is hydro. Some of this electric- ity is exported to neighbouring countries, nota- bly Eswatini.™
Week 31 05•August•2021 w w w . N E W S B A S E . c o m P11