Maputo — Mozambique's publicly owned electricity company, EDM, and Africa50 have signed four agreements to build and operate new solar power stations in the northern Mozambican provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula.
Africa50 was established by African governments and the African Development Bank to help bridge Africa's infrastructure funding gap by facilitating project development, mobilizing public and private sector finance, and investing in infrastructure on the continent.
According to an EDM statement, the agreements, reached during the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), which is taking place in Dubai, also intend to build a floating solar power station at the Chicamba dam, in the central province of Manica.
EDM claims that the agreements emerge in order to "develop renewable energy production and transmission projects', as part of initiatives to boost the Energy Transition in Mozambique.
"Africa50 will co-operate with EDM in the development, financing, construction and operation of the onshore solar power plants at Montepuez, in Cabo Delgado, and Angoche, in Nampula, with an installed capacity of 100 MegaWatts (MW) and 60 MW, respectively, including the energy storage component', reads the document.
The agreements, the note claims, also include the development of the first 100 MW floating solar power plant in the Chicamba Hydroelectric Power Plant reservoir, "with the aim of utilizing existing water surfaces for energy production, thus saving arable land for agricultural purposes.'
In addition to these projects, the chief executive officers of the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding for the implementation of electricity transmission projects: the 285 kilometre, 220 kV Metoro - Montepuez - Marrupa Line, the 72 kilometre, 400 kV Maputo - Matutu Line and the 200 kilometre, 110 kV Massinga - Vilankulo Line, as well as the construction of substations.
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"By investing in the diversification of the energy matrix, we hope to produce around 200 MW of renewable energy over the next few years, thereby placing EDM at the forefront of the energy transition and also aligning itself with the assumptions of the Paris Agreement, aimed at reducing global warming', said EDM chairman of the board of directors, Marcelino Alberto.
For his part, the Africa50 chairperson, Alain Ebobissé, said "we look forward to joining forces with EDM to accelerate the deployment of green energy infrastructure in electricity generation and transmission, leveraging private sector capital and our partnership with the United Arab Emirates' Africa Green Investment initiative to realize these significant investments in Mozambique.'
On 22 November, the Mozambican government approved the Energy Transition Strategy with investments of 80 billion dollars to be implemented by 2050.
This is the second power agreement signed by Mozambique during COP-28. On Monday, Mozambique's National Investment Bank (BNI) signed an agreement valued at 150 million US dollars with AMEA Power from the United Arab Emirates, aimed at developing a photovoltaic solar power plant with an estimated annual capacity of between 125 and 200 MWp (megawatt peak).
