Mozambique’s publicly-owned electricity company, EDM, recorded a peak hour power consumption of 1,035 megawatts in the 2020-2021 period as a result of demand growth and the increase of new connections to the grid.
In the last five years, there has been an increase in peak consumption of 19.9 percent, from 863 MW in 2015 to 1035 MW in 2021. A significant part of this growth is driven by the southern part of the country, where the load is higher due to the concentration of services, industry, and population density.
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“This means that we are increasing the level of access to energy for Mozambicans. By 2020-2021, we reached 1035 MW as a result of increased generation and demand”, said António Munguambe, director of the EDM Directorate of Systems Planning and Engineering, in an interview with AIM, adding that the implementation of the Energy for All project, Electrification of Administrative Posts and other electricity grid expansion initiatives, will be fully achieved by 2030.
According to Munguambe, in response to the growing demand, the government launched the energy auctions program to optimize the electrification projects in the country, from a technological and cost point of view to the consumer, bringing sustainable solutions.
It is under this initiative that power generation projects are underway in the districts of Dondo in Sofala province, Lichinga (Niassa), Manje (Tete) and Jangamo (Inhambane), to take advantage of a wide diversity of renewable energy sources in Mozambique, namely wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, wave and solar.
Parallel to EDM’s projects, there are also private initiatives, for example in Cuamba district, in Niassa, to ensure energy supply in quantity and quality.
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“What EDM is doing is balancing the sub-programmes within the government programme, but without neglecting the private initiatives. These are necessary investments, but within the regulatory framework”, he said.
In terms of energy generation and transmission, EDM has concluded the feasibility study on the Tsáte Hydroelectric Plant in Manica, projected to produce about 30 MW. The feasibility study is also underway for the Mavuzi 2 plant in the same province, with a capacity to produce the same amount.
“EDM is currently meeting the challenge of bringing energy to everyone by 2030”, said Munguaba. “What EDM is doing is ensure that there is energy generation, and that there is transmission from the production centres to the consumption areas”.
