Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy

Institutional framework for the electricity sector

Mozambique’s electricity sector is made up of different key institutions within the structure of government, the functions and objectives of which have direct or indirect impact on the sector and on the implementation of relevant measures concerning its development:

  • The Council of Ministers are responsible for setting policies, strategies and regulatory tools to enable the development of natural resources for economic benefits, in association with environmental responsibility
  • The Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME), (which resulted from the merger of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Energy), is responsible for planning the national energy strategy and policy and for supervising the operation and development of the energy sector
  • The National Directorate of Energy (DNE), the central technical body within the MIREME, is responsible for the analysis, preparation and elaboration of energy policies and licensing of electrical installations
  • The ARENE (Energy Regulatory Authority) is a governmental consultative and advisory body, under the tutelage of MIREME, also functioning as a regulator for the generation, transmission and sale of electricity
  • EDM, a state-owned and vertically integrated utility, is responsible for the generation, procurement, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity. EDM is also the manager of the National Grid
  • Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa S.A. (HCB) manages the Cahora Bassa hydroelectric dam and is currently the largest producer of electricity in Mozambique; and
  • FUNAE (Fundo de Energia) is a public institution in charge of developing, producing and making use of different forms of low-cost power production and distribution for off-grid rural electrification. It promotes the conservation and sustainable management of power resources.

Renewable Energy Potential

Mozambique possesses a wide range of renewable and non-renewable energy resources, giving it favourable conditions not only to meet its own domestic energy needs but also to export to countries in the Southern Africa region and to other international markets.

Solar Potential

Mozambique has significant and virtually unexploited solar potential. The country’s global solar irradiation varies between 1,785 and 2,206 kWh/m2/year, which represents an estimated potential of 23,000 GW. Solar is an abundant and consistent source of energy across most of the country, with the Niassa, Nampula, Cabo Delgado and Zambézia Provinces showing the highest levels of irradiation. The Renewable Energy Atlas identified 189 locations for grid-connected power plants, close to existing substations, with a total capacity of 599 MW (FUNAE-ATLAS, 2013).

Wind Potential

According to the Atlas of Renewable energies (FUNAE, 2013), Mozambique has a medium-low-intensity wind power regime with speeds of between 4 and 6 meters per second at 80 meters, with the exception of the southern area of the country and high areas of the central and northern where the winds reach higher values. The Renewable Energy Atlas identified a total wind potential of 4.5 GW, of which 1,100 MW may have potential for grid connection. Out of these, about 230 MW are considered high potential.

Hydro Potential

The Renewable Energy Atlas identified a total of 1,446 potential hydro projects with an accumulated potential of 19 GW from which, based on studies, 351 priority projects with anestimated potential of 5.6 GW were selected. The majority of projects are located in Tete, Manica, Niassa, Zambezia and Nampula provinces. According to the Atlas, about 100 sites could be developed in the near term future.

Bioenergy Potential

According to the Renewable Energy Atlas, Mozambique has a bioenergy potential of 2 GW. Of this, a 128 MW pipeline of priority biomass projects would be viable for development in the short term. In regional terms the highest potential lies in the Zambézia, Sofala, Niassa and Maputo Provinces.