The International Energy Agency (IEA) stated that Mozambique’s significant energy resources could support government efforts to achieve universal access to electricity and clean cooking by 2030, while also helping to chart a path for economic development and meeting the needs of the growing population.
Speaking on Monday, October 20, during the 5th Energy Seminar of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) held in Maputo, IEA Deputy Executive Director Mary Burce Warlick emphasized that currently, most of Mozambique’s electricity generation comes from hydropower, while other renewable energy resources remain largely untapped.
“The country should leverage its significant potential to drive economic growth, industrialization, and clean energy exports. This includes expanding mining and processing to enable Mozambique to benefit from the growing global demand for clean energy technologies and critical minerals,” she explained, as cited in a TradeArabia publication.
Speaking via video message, Warlick stressed that Mozambique has established the foundations to build a modern, inclusive, and sustainable energy system, and the government should focus on the right partnerships and investments to ensure lasting benefits.
“In the last decade, Mozambique nearly doubled its electrification rate thanks to grid extensions and off-grid solutions. However, more than half of the population still lacked access to electricity, and access to clean cooking is extremely low, with only 7% of the population using modern solutions,” she highlighted. The Deputy Executive Director pointed out that “mini-grids and standalone residential solar systems will be essential to enable low-cost electricity access in rural areas, but more efforts are needed to stimulate market development in these sectors, which remain dependent on public financing.”
Last year, the Mozambican government approved a strategy aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on fossil fuels, estimating that its implementation would cost $80 billion by 2050.
The first steps outlined in the Energy Transition Strategy, approved by the Council of Ministers on November 21, include adding 2,000 megawatts of hydropower capacity by 2030 and expanding the transmission network to allow for the integration of more renewable energy.
“The country has great potential to become a global leader in climate-aligned development,” the document states, emphasizing that “the Energy Transition Strategy sets a clear path to leverage these assets to enable sustainable national growth while supporting emissions reduction.”
Mozambique is the most recent developing country seeking international financing to fund its energy transition program. Senegal became the second African country to secure a substantial climate financing package of $2.7 billion, aimed at supporting and accelerating its just energy transition strategy.
Source: Diário Económico
