15 Southern African countries met in Maputo to discuss energy solutions

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15 Southern African countries met in Maputo to discuss energy solutions

1:45 CAT | 09 May 2016

DW (file photo) / Cahora Bassa dam, in Mozambique's Tete province

Fifteen countries from across Southern Africa met at the Southern African Energy and Infrastructure Summit in Maputo last week to search for solutions that will ensure continuous power supply for their inhabitants.

Improving the supply of electricity will only be possible with more and better infrastructure, the summit is found.

Marcelina Mataveia, Deputy Director of Energy Mozambique, argued that it will be necessary to invest in the diversification of energy sources for the country to have enough electricity for both domestic consumption and export.

“We are not only looking for energy sources, but we have to work out how different energy sources complement each other, to bring greater energy security to the country and beyond. Mozambique can contribute to the energy supply in the region,” Mataveia said.

Investment friendly environment

Energy lines in Manica province, central Mozambique

In addition to the energy generated by the Cahora Bassa dam in Tete province, Mozambique is exploring the energy potential of gas and coal. However, there are still challenges to overcome, such as identifying the solutions best able to boost the country’s economy.

The deputy director believes that it is necessary first of all to create an investment friendly environment . “We intend to create a favourable business environment in order to give our people greater access to reliable, energy,” she says. “We face major challenges, such as production, transport and power supply quality.”

Motraco Energy Company’s Sérgio Nhancule says that having gas as energy sources would have an added value for energy production and for direct consumption of gas in Mozambique, adding that Mozambique has “a very large domestic consumption and industry energy deficit”.

Better power supply: A Zimbabwean priority

The Mozambican private sector sees natural gas as an abundant alternative energy source for the country. For Zimbabwe however, the priority is improving energy supply. Zimbabwe is the biggest consumer of Mozambican energy, and is guided by a strategy of supplying power to all rural areas and public institutions, Minister of Energy Samuel Undengue said.

“We have created a Rural Electrification Agency to provide power to all rural areas previously excluded from the electrification process. But the priority is hospitals, schools and other state institutions,” he added.

The Southern African Energy and Infrastructure Summit took place 4 – 6 May in Maputo, Mozambique with the participation of Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Madagascar, Mauritius, Zambia and Malawi.

Source: Deutsche Welle