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Photo: Presidency of the Republic
Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi on Friday laid the first stone in the construction of the Metoro Solar Power Station, in Ancuabe district, about 90 kilometres from Pemba, capital of the northern province of Cabo Delgado.
This will be the second largest solar power station in Mozambique, capable of generating 41 megawatts of power. It will be built alongside a sub-station of the publicly owned electricity company EDM, in an area of 138 hectares, where 121,500 photovoltaic panels will be installed.
The station is budgeted at 56 million US dollars, of which 40 million is a loan from the French Development Agency (AFD) and its subsidiary, Proparco, which claims to finance businesses “that are instrumental in creating decent jobs that pay decent wages, in supplying essential goods and services and in battling climate change”.
The main shareholder in the Metoro power station is the French renewable energy company Neoen, with 75 per cent. The remaining 25 per cent is owned by EDM.
When it comes on stream, in the last quarter of 2021, the Metoro power station will produce 68 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year, which is equivalent to 75 per cent of the needs of Pemba city. It will support industrial activities in the region, including the graphite mines in the Cabo Delgado districts of Ancuabe and Balama.
At the launch ceremony, Nyusi declared that the future solar power station will make a major contribution to improved quality and security in the supply of electricity, and will support the government’s plans for the electrification of administrative posts and localities.
During the construction phase, the Metoro station will employ more than 380 workers. But it will only need 25 workers to run it, during the operational period. After 25 years, management of the station will pass into the hands of EDM.
Nyusi declared that Mozambique is showing the world its determination to promote renewable forms of energy, which will be a key component in the government’s efforts to ensure access to electrical power for all Mozambicans by 2030.
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