Energy Fund launched a portfolio of renewable energy projects

The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy through Energy Fund (FUNAE), both Members of ALER, launched a portfolio of Renewable Energy Projects, budgeted at 500 million US dollars, on September 19, in Maputo, which aims to mobilize private financing and from multilateral cooperation partners for solar and hydro projects.

The launch ceremony was chaired by the Mozambique's Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Leticia Klemens who stressed that the government is "profoundly committed" to attaining universal access, even though "this demands better performance from us". The minister assured that "With this portfolio we want to open more space for private sector investment and financing so that renewable energy projects cease to be limited to public investment."

In turn, Dr. António Osvaldo Saíde, FUNAE's PCA, said in his speech that this portfolio will be an instrument of planning and guidance for achieving the target of universal access by 2030, however, the portfolio is dynamic as far as are several variables that can greatly change, for example, by the results of the population census or by surveys and pre-feasibility and feasibility studies in progress.

Access to electricity will be through the use of solar and hydro sources, covering all the country's 11 provinces. These provinces are Maputo, Gaza, Inhambane, Sofala, Manica, Tete, Zambézia, Nampula, Niassa and Cabo Delgado.

The initiative envisages that within a 15-year horizon the Mozambican population will have access to electricity in off-grid systems namely micro and mini-grids and small autonomous systems.

According to the statement, a total of 332 villages will be electrified throughout the country, using hydropower through mini-networks with a total generation of more than 1,000 megawatts (MW). Solar energy will be used for 343 projects, of which 10 will be mini-grids producing between one and three 3MW and 111 will be micro or small mini-networks with an output of up to 100 kilowatts.

"The project portfolio identifies potential sites for project implementation based on solar resource, water resource and or combined (hybrid), taking into account the availability of energy resources in each location," said the statement.

You can download FUNAE's renewable energy projects portfolio via this link.