Nyusi opens power plants in Manica: The goal is to increase access to electricity

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Nyusi opens power plants in Manica: The goal is to increase access to electricity

12:42 CAT | 28 Mar 2017

The rate of national electricity coverage remains below the desired level, with only 26 percent of the population connected at the end of 2016. Inaugurating the Mavuzi and Chicamba hydroelectric plants yesterday in Manica, President Nyusi renewed the government’s commitment to extending access to electricity in Mozambique.

In his speech, Filipe Nyusi acknowledged that the national grid infrastructure was still limited, and unable to meet the growing demand for reliable electricity. As a result, about 80 percent of Mozambicans depend on resources such as wood and charcoal for energy, in addition to oil, the price of which tends to rise.

According to the head of state, the challenges resulting from the emergence of new productive projects, coupled with the demand generated by the emerging extractive industry, were compelling the country to rethink the problem of access to electricity.

He noted that, as a result of the work in progress, “we have moved from 15 district headquarters connected to the national network in 1997 to the current 147 district headquarters, out of 154 districts”.

The president said that the electrification of the remaining seven district headquarters is a perfectly achievable goal.

“This is a dream and a commitment that we share and take on before our people. It was not by chance that in the process of defining our governance goals, we chose, among the four focus areas, energy as one of the catalysts for the development of our economy,” President Nyusi said.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mozambique Electricity, Mateus Magala, told Noticias that the completion of the two power plants would increase the number of the companies clients by 26,000, who will join the 84,000 Manica customers already connected.

In Sofala, 44,000 new consumers will be connected to the power grid, bringing the number of consumers in the province to 187,000.

In addition to Sofala and Manica, the Chicamba and Mavúzi plants will also benefit Zimbabwe.

The rehabilitation of the Chicamba and Mavúzi hydroelectric dams, estimated at US$125 million, consisted of replacing the generator sets and restoring the floodgates and control panel. The work was carried out by a Franco-Portuguese consortium that won an international competition was co-financed by the governments of Mozambique, Sweden, France and Norway.

President Nyusi yesterday also inaugurated the Chimoio Centre for Distance Education, a project financed by the World Bank in the amount of about 148 million meticais. Today, the president inaugurates a monument erected to celebrate the centennial of the Makombes revolt against the Portuguese occupation in Catandica, Bárue district.

Source: Notícias