The Fundo de Energia, EP (FUNAE) and the Mphanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric Project Implementation Office (GMNK) recently signed a cooperation protocol aimed at electrifying communities in the project area, located in Tete province. The agreement, according to a press release, aims to foster local economic development and reduce inequality in access to energy.
Under the protocol, the two organisations undertake to develop mini-grids and residential and public solar systems in remote regions that currently have no access to the national energy grid. The agreement includes the creation of energy micro-systems based on renewable sources to supply electricity to the affected communities.
In addition to the installation of infrastructure, the protocol includes the training of local technicians to operate and maintain the systems, ensuring their long-term sustainability. The areas of coordination also cover access to funding, research and development, as well as appropriate policies and regulations.
Raising awareness and involving communities in the benefits of decentralised electrification are key aspects of the agreement, aimed at stimulating the active participation and support of local populations.
The document states that the protocol signing ceremony took place during the 9th Coordinating Council of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, in Mossuril, Nampula province, in the presence of the chair of FUNAE’s board of directors, Isália Munguambe Dimene, and the director-general of the GMNK, Carlos Yum.
This protocol is a component of the GMNK’s Social Development Programme (PDS), which aims to respond to the urgent needs of the communities in the project area, improving human and social development indicators through interventions in the areas of energy, water, health and education.
To develop the PDS, a detailed analysis of the needs of the communities was carried out, assessing the socio-economic situation and the state of the existing infrastructure. This process involved more than 1,800 interviews with community members, focus groups with local leaders and interviews with government authorities and district services.
With an estimated cost of 283.5 billion meticals (4.5 billion dollars), the project includes the development of a dam, a hydroelectric power station with a capacity of up to 1,500 megawatts and a 1,300-kilometre high-voltage electricity transmission line. The project is scheduled for completion in 2031.
