Mozambique: Power generated from solar parks grows 28.9% in first nine months

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Mozambique: Power generated from solar parks grows 28.9% in first nine months

1:14 CAT | 03 Dec 2024

File photo: Lusa

Electricity production from solar parks in Mozambique grew 28.9% from January to September, but still only accounts for 0.5% of the total, according to official data consulted today by Lusa.

According to the budget execution report with data up to the end of September, electricity production from five large solar parks in the country, plus other smaller solar power plants, exceeded 71,264 megaWatt-hours (MWh) in this period, compared to 55,301 MWh in the first nine months of 2023.

Despite the growth in production, solar parks only provided 0.5% of Mozambique’s total electricity production in nine months. The main contributors were hydroelectric plants, with 84.5%, especially Cahora-Bassa Hydroelectric Plant, which accounted for 82.3% of total electricity production up to September.

Mozambique plans by 2030 to have solar power plants in at least five parts of the country, 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), Lusa reported in February.

Last year, Mozambique had projects for 125 MW solar power plants, with 80 MW already connected to the grid.

The new strategy, which foresees investments of around US$80 billion (€76.2 billion) by 2050, foresees that Mozambique will develop, in a first phase, by 2030, “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 need large quantities 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 objective is to have at least 7.5 gigaWatt-hours (GW) of solar photovoltaic capacity installed in Mozambique and up to 2.5 GW of wind power capacity.

“To ensure price optimization and accelerate the expansion of solar and wind capacity, the Government should build on the Mozambique Renewable Energy Auction Programme”, the principles of which introduced “competition in the awarding of renewable energy contracts”, the document states.

“The rapid growth of solar expansion in South Africa following the introduction of auctions is a regional example to follow,” the ETS says, also highlighting “long-term” initiatives.

“Continue to gradually develop the latest solar and wind generation potential to meet the growing demand for electricity. A true ‘solar revolution’ will be needed to meet Mozambique’s growing consumption in a clean way,” the document reads.

Source: Lusa