The chairman of Mozambique's energy regulatory authority (ARENE) Paulo da Graca said that a tender will be launched by end-July to develop 60MW of solar projects across sites in Lichinga, Niassa province and Manje, Tete province. The tender will award at least 30MW per location and will be included in the country's renewable energy auction programme (PROLER), run by state utility Electricidade do Mozambique (EDM) and ARENE.
As of now, 90MW is pending development under the PROLER programme, comprising a 50MW photovoltaic (PV) plant in Lichinga awarded to a consortium of Dutch independent power producer (IPP) Gigawatt Global and the Anglican Church of Niassa; and a 40MW solar PV plant awarded in April to TotalEnergies subsidiary Total Eren in Dondo, Sofala province.
Close to the proposed site at Manje, Tete province, London-listed power development company Ncondezi Energy is considering another PV plant and battery storage facility. The company is building a 300MW coal-fired power plant at the same site in partnership with China Machinery Engineering (CMEC), but the consortium has been pending debt restructuring for several months on a US$750,000 working capital facility. Local lender Seritza confirmed it will not call the loan until the end of June. London-based firm Solarcentry Africa is expected to announce a 100MW PV project in Mozambique shortly, Solarcentury's head of commercial finance Mark Crossley told PFI last month.