Page 12 - AfrElec Week 01 2021

AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec

EBRD extends €25mn to Moroccan

Bank for Trade and Industry to

support green energy projects

MOROCCO THE European Bank for Reconstruction and investments in climate change mitigation and
Development (EBRD) and the Green Climate adaptation technologies. The bank is supported
Fund (GCF) will jointly extend €25mn in financ- in the implementation of its investment pro-
ing loans to the Moroccan Bank for Trade and gramme by the EU through technical capacity
Industry (BMCI) to support the latter’s efforts building to encourage green economy efforts in
to expand renewable energy projects, according Morocco.
to a statement on January 5. This is the second In September 2021, the EBRD and its part-
financing that has been granted to BMCI by the ners released €50mn to support the green econ-
EBRD to encourage green energy projects. In omy in Morocco through Crédit immobilier et
2019, the Moroccan bank received €20mn for hôtelier (CIH Bank) and Bank of Africa.
the same purpose. The Moroccan government said earlier its
Some €23.75mn of the total will be provided energy strategy aims to raise the share of renew-
by the EBRD and the remaining €1.25mn will be able energy in the country’s electricity mix to
allocated by the GCF. 52% by 2030, 70% by 2040 and 80% by 2050,
BMCI will use the funds to provide sub- in terms of both power generated and installed
loans to green economy players in Morocco, and capacity.™
plans to provide credit to facilitate SMEs and

Mozambique seeks consultants

for first floating solar farm

MOZAMBIQUE MOZAMBIQUE’S state-owned power com- The resulting data will guide EDM and other
pany Electricidade de Mocambique (EDM) is local stakeholders in the decision-making pro-
seeking consultants to help develop the country’s cess, the power company said.
first floating solar farm. 40% of the population in the country have
The company wants to carry out a feasibility access to electricity, 36% through the grid of
study to assess the potential and implications of the state-owned Electricidade de Moçambique
setting up a floating solar farm at a hydro power (EDM), and 4% through off-grid solar systems.
reservoir. The country’s Renewable Energy Auction
Mozambique aims to offer universal access to Programme (Proler), implemented by Electri-
power, and solar generation forms a crucial part cidade de Moçambique (EDM) in partnership
of this strategy. with the French Development Agency (AFD),
The plant, if approved, will probably be aims to add 120 MW of solar capacity at three
funded by the African Development Bank utility-scale projects.
(AfDB), which is also funding the feasibility The EU-funded programme aims to generate
study and has released a formal expression of 120 MW from three solar PV plants, including
interest (EoI) for this requirement. the one in Dondo. The other two will be built in
The study itself will address whether it is Lichinga and Manje, in Niassa and Tete prov-
worth pursuing the installation of a floating solar inces respectively.
farm at the reservoir of the 44-MW Chicamba In August, Mozambique President Filipe
hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in Manica Nyusi commissioned a 200-kW solar power
Province. plant in the province of Niassa as part of govern-
The study should consider technical and ment plans to provide universal power access in
financial viability, environmental impact the country.
assessment for the power plant infrastructure The project, which is funded by the govern-
and interconnection lines, the environmental ment’s Mozambican Energy Fund (FUNAE),
impact of the dam and marine ecosystem, and involves 200-kWp solar project and a 5-km dis-
socio-economic aspects of the proposed project. tribution network.™

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