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Mozambique: New 60 MW solar power plant for Maputo province in US$110.6 million investment
2:34 CAT | 18 Oct 2024
File photo: Lusa
State-owned power utility Electricidade de Moçambique plans to invest US$110.6 million with private companies to install a 60 MW solar power plant next to the Corumana dam in Maputo province.
According to the non-technical summary (NTS)of the environmental impact study (EIS) which is now the subject of public consultation, the project, in addition to the state-owned electricity company, involves private companies from VBC, through the operating entity Central Solar de Corumana.
A document to which Lusa had access to today states that the project is in line with the objectives of the Strategic Plan of the Government of Mozambique for the energy sector.
“This is a renewable energy project that will help the Government of Mozambique achieve its goal of universal electrification by 2030 and that will allow the creation, directly and indirectly, of more jobs, contributing to the economic growth of the district of Moamba and the province of Maputo,” it reads.
The solar power plant will be built on an area of approximately 142 hectares, next to R802 between Sábiè to Massingir, in the village of Matunganhane, Moamba district, 6.5 kilometres from the Corumana dam.
Last year, Mozambique had plans for 125 MW solar power plants, with 80 MW already connected to the grid.
Electricity production from solar parks in Mozambique grew by almost 14% in the first quarter of 2024, but still represents less than 0.5% of the total, according to official data previously reported by Lusa.
According to the budget execution report from January to March, electricity production in six large solar parks in the country, and by other smaller plants, amounted to 19,688 MegaWatt-hours (MWh) in this period, compared to 17,328 MWh in the first three months of 2023.
Despite the growth in production, solar parks only accounted for 0.4% of total production in Mozambique in the first quarter. Production is led by hydroelectric plants, with 84.6%. The Cahora-Bassa Hydroelectric Plant produced 82.2% of all electricity in Mozambique up to March.
Mozambique plans to implement solar power plants in at least five parts of the country by 2030, estimating that it will introduce a capacity of 1,000 MW of electricity production into the grid, promising a “true solar revolution”.
“Accelerating this type of project to a larger scale is the simplest way to resolve Mozambique’s strategic dilemma after 2030: having to choose between green energy for export or supplying energy to industrial consumers,” according to the Energy Transition Strategy (ETS) reported by Lusa in February.
The new strategy, which foresees investments of around US$80 billion (€73 billion) by 2050, also points to the development, in a first phase, by 2030, of “at least” 1,000 MW of new solar photovoltaic capacity in Dondo, Lichinga, Manje, Cuamba, Zitundo and other locations “to be identified”, and 200 to 500 MW of new onshore wind power capacity, namely at Lagoa Pathi in Inhambane.
“Large industrial investors that require large amounts of green electricity should be encouraged, through a favourable business and regulatory environment, to develop large-scale solar and wind power projects,” the document adds.
By 2050, the aim is to have at least 7.5 GW of solar photo-voltaic (PV) capacity installed in Mozambique and up to 2.5 GW of wind power capacity.
Source: Lusa
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