Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) is to build and operate new solar power plants in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula, and is also going ahead with a floating solar power plant at the Chicamba dam in Manica.
In a statement released on Monday, December 4, the state-owned electricity company said it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Africa50 for the “development of renewable energy production and transportation projects”, as part of initiatives to “boost the Energy Transition in Mozambique”.
To this end, Africa50 “will cooperate with EDM in the development, financing, construction and operation” of the onshore solar power plants at Montepuez, in Cabo Delgado, and Angoche, in Nampula, with an installed capacity of 100 MegaWatts (MW) and 60 MW, respectively, including the energy storage component.
“The agreements also include the development of the first 100 MW floating solar power plant in the Chicamba Hydroelectric Power Plant reservoir, with the aim of using existing water surfaces for energy production, thus saving arable land for agricultural purposes,” the document adds.
In addition to these projects, the CEOs of the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding for the implementation of electricity transmission projects: the Metoro – Montepuez – Marrupa Line, 285 kilometers and 220 kV, the Maputo – Matutu Line, 72 kilometers and 400kV, and the Massinga – Vilankulo Line, 200 km and 110kV, as well as the construction of substations.
“By focusing on diversifying the energy matrix, we hope to produce around 200 MW of renewable energy over the next few years. In this way, EDM is at the forefront of the energy transition and is also aligned with the assumptions of the Paris Agreement, aimed at reducing global warming,” said the chairman of the board of directors of Mozambican electricity company Marcelino Gildo Alberto, after signing the agreement last Saturday (2) in Dubai.
Africa50 was created by African governments and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to bridge the infrastructure financing gap in Africa by facilitating project development, mobilizing finance and investing in infrastructure.
The understanding between the two parties, which involved four agreements, was reached during the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28).
“We look forward to joining forces with EDM to accelerate the deployment of green energy infrastructure in the production and transmission of electricity, leveraging private sector capital and our partnership with the United Arab Emirates’ Africa Green Investment initiative to make these significant investments in Mozambique,” said the president of Africa50, Alain Ebobissé, quoted in the Mozambican electricity company’s statement.
On the occasion, after speaking at COP28 on Saturday, the President of the Republic, Filipe Nyusi, said that the new Energy Transition Strategy “not only places Mozambique at the forefront of climate innovation, but also positions us as an attractive sustainable investment destination”.
