Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi said at the climate summit that the new 73 billion euro Energy Transition Strategy (ETS) will put the country at the “forefront of climate innovation”.
“This initiative not only places Mozambique at the forefront of climate innovation, but also positions it as an attractive sustainable investment destination,” said the head of state, after speaking on Saturday at one of the panels at the UN climate summit (COP28), which is taking place in Dubai.
“We face two realities that constitute a dilemma in the face of our economic development ambitions: as a developing country, energy access levels are below 53 per cent, but we are host to large reserves of natural gas,” he recalled.
“To get around” the situation, he explained, the ETS was approved: “In this way we assume our fundamental role in the energy transition in supplying southern Africa’s energy needs, which will contribute to regional decarbonisation.”
On 27 November, Mozambique’s Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy announced investments of 80 billion dollars (73 billion euros) in the Energy Transition Strategy, to be implemented by 2050.
“Mozambique has great potential to be a global leader in climate-aligned development. This is due to its considerable renewable energy resources and substantial natural gas reserves. The ambitious ETS sets out a clear path to capitalise on these assets and enable sustainable growth at national level, while supporting emissions reductions at local and global level,” reads a statement from the Ministry.
According to the same information, to which Lusa had access, the document with Mozambique’s priorities was approved at a meeting of the Council of Ministers on 21 November, based on the commitment made by President Filipe Nyusi at the COP27 climate conference in Egypt in 2022.
The “significant expansion of renewable energy capacity”, the “promotion of green industrialisation”, fostering “universal access” to energy and decarbonising transport through biofuels, electric vehicles and rail transport are the four main strategic pillars that frame the ETS, presented on Saturday during COP28.
In the period 2024 to 2030, the Mozambican government plans to add 3.5 GigaWatts (GW) of new hydroelectric capacity by modernising existing plants and completing the Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric project.
It will also “expand and modernise the national grid” to “absorb the increase in renewable generation”, as well as “boost solar and wind energy” through a renewable energy auction programme.
It will also advance the construction of “green industrial parks and corridors enabled by reliable and affordable clean energy”.
The goal, it goes on to say, is to “achieve total electrification by 2030”, through “off-grid access with a focus on productive uses”, with the increased adoption of biomass production solutions and advancing green transport using natural gas.
“While this short-term agenda is fundamental, Mozambique’s transition will continue beyond 2030. Sustained progress requires continued coordination between the various stakeholders, consultations and increased investment,” reads the same information, which points to indicative capital needs “of approximately 80 billion dollars by 2050”.
“With its extensive advantages now accompanied by a detailed roadmap in the ETS, Mozambique is ready to drive equitable and sustainable development, while providing partner countries, regional and global, with green energy and essential green products, to achieve net zero emissions,” it concludes.
Mozambique is considered one of the countries most severely affected by climate change in the world, facing cyclical floods and tropical cyclones during the rainy season between October and April.
Lusa
