The National Energy Fund (FUNAE) has announced an investment to build 19 mini-grids to generate electricity in Mozambique. These mini-grids will have a capacity of between 100 and 200 megawatts (MW) and aim to improve supply coverage, especially in remote areas of the country.
According to Arcádia Nhantumbo, director of the electricity division at FUNAE, this project will benefit around 7,000 families and is part of the national program for universal access to energy by 2030. “We now have 19 mini-grids under construction and we hope to start building others in order to achieve the government’s goal of electrifying all the headquarters of the administrative posts. Rural areas are the highest priority, as they are places where access to electricity is very difficult,” explained Nhantumbo.
FUNAE is also creating a financing route that will help increase access to electricity through solar home systems. This investment is part of a larger effort to boost energy access in rural areas and contribute to the national goal of universal energy access by 2030.
During the 3rd edition of the Business Conference – Renewables in Mozambique 2023 (RenMoz 2023), the chairwoman of FUNAE’s Board of Directors, Manuela Rebelo, revealed that over the last ten years, FUNAE has invested around 87.7 million euros (6 billion meticais) in off-grid energy projects. “The Executive’s commitment to the sector has increased by 12% and funding from partners has already reached more than 132 million euros,” said Rebelo.
With Mozambique’s rural population still predominantly without access to electricity, with an access rate of just 51.4%, the country’s energy sector is focused on achieving the universal energy access target by 2030 and promoting the just energy transition and renewable energy in rural areas.
