The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a grant of a grant of US$2.5 million to the government of Mozambique for feasibility studies into a floating solar PV farm and up to 10 energy storage systems.
The grant is from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), which AfDB administers, and will be used to help implement the Mozambique Renewable Energy Integration Program (MREP).
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The money will allow the national electricity company EDM (Electricidade de Moçambique) to support funding for a feasibility study into battery energy storage systems at up to 10 sites.
It will also go towards feasibility studies for the development of a solar floating power plant in Chicamba reservoir and how to increase the share of variable renewable energy generation more broadly, as well as capacity building for EDM’s personnel and support for tender processes.
Mozambique is a net exporter of electricity despite low access rates (57% in urban areas and 13% in rural areas) and has a power generation potential of 187GW, the most significant in southern Africa, a press release said.
Hydropower currently accounts for about 81% of installed capacity but natural gas and renewable energy sources growing their share of the country’s energy mix.
The size of the projects has not been disclosed. In July, Energy-Storage.news reported on a feasibility study for a 300MW solar plus storage project. The country’s first large-scale project combining PV and storage started construction in July last year.