Another 11 solar mini-grids for Mozambique.

The public body responsible for expanding access to electricity is seeking consultants to prepare a tender for rural PV mini-grids.

Mozambican electricity access body the Fundo de Energia (Funae) has issued a request for expressions of interest to seek consultants to draft feasibility studies and project outlines for 11 solar mini grids.

The agency said the studies will be backed by the World Bank’s Energy for All program, which is being administered in Mozambique by Funae and state-owned utility Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM). Consultants have until May 19 to submit expressions of interest.

“The off-grid component will focus on supporting the electrification of areas where electricity supply through mini-grids represents the least-cost option from a country perspective,” said Funae in the tender document.

Public-private

Mini-grids will be developed as public-private partnerships by independent power producers. “Once the mini-grid is commissioned, all electricity consumers supplied through mini-grids will be EDM customers,” the agency added.

The projects will be installed in 11 villages in the provinces of Niassa, Nampula, Tete, Sofala and Manica.

In March, Funae launched a tender for five solar solar mini-grids to be developed, under the second phase of the Renewable Energy for Rural Development program introduced by the government in 2018 and part financed by Belgium.

Mozambique had 55 MW of solar generation capacity at the end of the year, according to International Renewable Energy Agency statistics, with a 40 MW solar park built by Norwegian developer Scatec Solar last year providing most of that volume. Two more large scale projects are under development with the French Development Agency in October agreeing to help local authorities develop 80 MW of solar capacity across two sites in Nampula and Niassa.

4 May 2020

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