The World Bank (WB) is investing a total of 150 million dollars (9.4 billion meticals) to implement an initiative aimed at improving power quality in some of Mozambique’s provinces.
Called the “Energy Quality and Efficiency Improvement Project (PERIP)”, the programme has already made it possible to install new equipment in the substation, with the capacity to respond to the electrical concerns of several families living in the city of Maputo.
According to the national director of System Operation at Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), Nilsa Pelembe, PERIP aims to strengthen electricity infrastructures, increasing the efficiency and reliability of the system.
“We also intend to repair 16 substations and eight power transmission lines, as well as build six new lines to increase capacity and robustness. This project is designed to respond to existing challenges and provide quality of life for society,” he explained.
Pelembe said that, in addition to Maputo, the initiative will be implemented in other regions, such as Nampula, Zambézia and Niassa, emphasising that this action is in line with the government’s objectives of expanding access to electricity.
In April, EDM revealed that the cost of public lighting throughout the country totalled 20 million dollars (1.2 million meticals) a year, a figure it considered very high, stressing that it does not have any purchase subsidies.
At the time, the entity clarified that lighting is supplied to cities, large urban centres, towns and neighbourhoods, with the costs falling directly on the company, which has to provide mechanisms to feed a consumption of more than 1080 Megawatts, which represents an increase of around 50% taking into account the increase in the number of consumers at all levels over the last three years.