New 100 MW solar project in Manica receives funding of 2.5 million dollars from the AfDB

The African Development Bank (AfDB) will finance the construction of a floating solar power plant with a capacity of 100 megawatts (MW) on the Chicamba reservoir in Manica province. The project, developed by Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), will involve an investment of 158.2 million meticais (2.5 million dollars), made available through SEFA (Sustainable Energy for Africa), according to Lusa.

“The funding not only makes it possible to build the plant, but also supports EDM in implementing a storage system for the energy produced. This project will be built on the reservoir of the Chicamba dam, built during the colonial period in the district of Sussundenga,” the state company said in a statement.

The document states that the project’s Environmental Impact Study is under public consultation until August, allowing society to participate and contribute to the sustainable development of the project.

Mozambique currently has projects for solar power plants totaling 125 MW, of which 80 MW are already connected to the electricity grid. In the first quarter of this year, electricity production in solar parks in the country grew by almost 14%, although it still represents less than 0.5% of total production.

“Electricity production at the country’s six large solar parks and other smaller plants reached 19,688 megawatt hours (MWh), compared to 17,328 MWh in the first three months of 2023. Despite this growth, solar production was surpassed by hydroelectric plants, which led with 84.6%, mainly due to the Cahora-Bassa Hydroelectric Plant, which alone accounted for 82.2% of total electricity production up to March,” highlights the budget execution report from January to March.

By 2030, the Executive plans to move ahead with the construction of solar power plants in at least five locations, with the aim of adding 1000 MW of electricity capacity to the national grid. This initiative is part of the Energy Transition Strategy (ETS), which foresees investments of around 5 billion meticais (80 billion dollars) by 2050, aiming for a “true solar revolution” in the country.

The strategy proposes the development of at least 1000 MW of new solar photovoltaic capacity and between 200 and 500 MW of onshore wind power by 2030. The goal by 2050 is to reach an installed capacity of 7.5 GW of solar photovoltaic energy and up to 2.5 GW of wind energy, ensuring that the country’s growing demand for electricity is met in a sustainable way.

“Electricity production at the country’s six large solar parks and other smaller plants reached 19,688 megawatt hours (MWh), compared to 17,328 MWh in the first three months of 2023. Despite this growth, solar production was surpassed by hydroelectric plants, which led with 84.6%, mainly due to the Cahora-Bassa Hydroelectric Plant, which alone accounted for 82.2% of total electricity production up to March,” highlights the budget execution report from January to March.

By 2030, the Executive plans to move ahead with the construction of solar power plants in at least five locations, with the aim of adding 1000 MW of electricity capacity to the national grid. This initiative is part of the Energy Transition Strategy (ETS), which foresees investments of around 5 billion meticais (80 billion dollars) by 2050, aiming for a “true solar revolution” in the country.

The strategy proposes the development of at least 1000 MW of new solar photovoltaic capacity and between 200 and 500 MW of onshore wind power by 2030. The goal by 2050 is to reach an installed capacity of 7.5 GW of solar photovoltaic energy and up to 2.5 GW of wind energy, ensuring that the country’s growing demand for electricity is met in a sustainable way.