MozParks, the first and only industrial park in Mozambique to date, is on track to be connected to the national power grid by mid-2023.
The works were commissioned by Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) through a 20.8 million Euro project entitled “EDM Power Network Modernization Programme”, funded by the German Government through KfW Development Bank.
The industrial park is located in the Boane district, Maputo Province. Up to now, it has operated mainly on generators powered by fossil fuels. Connecting the industrial park to the electricity grid entailed rehabilitating the existing Old Beluluane power substation and building a new backup substation in the locality of Mahoche. Both supply electricity to the industrial park and to around 3,000 households from nearby communities, providing them with consistent, long-term access to energy.
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Once connected to the national grid, the park will offer a cleaner and more reliable energy supply. As a result, the number of companies hosted by the park is expected to double in the next two years. “As the park’s power supply increases, more companies move in, creating more employment opportunities for nearby communities”, says Engineer César Alfane, EDM’s project manager.
“Along with clean energy companies will be able to rely on grid energy, saving 160,000 tons of CO2 emissions a year,” when referring to the 48 businesses operating within MozPark which employs over 8,000 people, says Steffen Beitz, KfW Portfolio Manager.
The power distribution component of the project will serve around 3,000 households in the Mavoco neighbourhood, Boane District.
“Beyond the industrial development benefits, the project also promotes social development and improves the lives of local communities”, says Mr Alfane.
“The Mahoche substation connects underserved communities to the grid, many of which did not have access to power before”, says Belarmina Jossias, Head of EDM’s Quality and Environmental Planning Department.
Both substations and transmission lines work with fibre technology, are fully digitalized, and will be connected to EDM’s future National Control Center, which controls the entire national grid, a project jointly financed by the European Union, African Development Bank, Sweden and Germany.
As the transmission lines connecting the Mahoche and Old Beluluane substations rose, new communities settled along the power lines, building houses and opening shops. As a result, “the local energy demand is higher than initially expected, and EDM saw the need to open a new, 24-hour service centre to serve communities living in Mavoco, Boane and Mozal areas”, Mr Alfane explains.
At the new EDM service centre – the first of its kind to feature ramp access for people with disabilities – clients can seek assistance in case of breakdowns, request technical support or lodge a complaint without travelling long distances.
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A reliable power supply is critical for industrialization and economic development. However, only about 40% of Mozambique’s population is connected to the electricity grid.
Germany remains committed to supporting the Government of Mozambique to densify the national grid to provide universal access to power by 2030.
German cooperation’s contribution to the Mozambican energy sector amounts to over 240 million Euros through technical and financial cooperation projects focusing on clean cooking, energy generation, transmission and distribution, with increased energy use from renewable sources.
