Maputo, Aug. 24, 2026 (Lusa) - A public-private partnership project aims to develop a new solar photovoltaic power station in the district of Nhamatanda, in Sofala province, central Mozambique, covering 160 hectares and contributing to the country's target of universal electricity access.
The project, worth $69 million (€59.5 million) and with a capacity of 45 megawatts, is currently undergoing public consultation as part of the environmental licensing process and the associated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), according to documentation accessed by Lusa, with local consultations at the headquarters of the Tica Administrative Post scheduled for Tuesday.
The Nhamatanda Solar Power Station, to be built in the town of Lamego, is the result of cooperation between the state-owned company Eletricidade de Moçambique (EDM) and the private firm VBC, aimed at generating solar electricity to boost the capacity of the national grid.
Furthermore, according to the Non-Technical Summary submitted for public consultation, the plant will occupy an area of approximately 160 hectares and will include two 110 kilovolt transmission lines, totalling around 11.9 kilometres, to connect to the Lamego Substation and subsequently feed the energy produced into the National Electricity Grid (REN).
The project forms part of the ‘Energy for All' programme, coordinated by the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, and aligns with the government's target to expand renewable energy production and achieve universal access to electricity in Mozambique by 2030.
The environmental study identifies opportunities to manage agricultural areas, economic activities, land use, and sites of cultural significance, thereby enabling the preparation of a Resettlement Plan and a Livelihood Restoration Plan for the affected families.
The initiative comes at a time when Mozambique is seeking to accelerate the expansion of access to energy, with government figures indicating that the country made more than 75,000 new electricity connections in the first quarter of 2026, of which 44,743 were via the National Electricity Grid and 30,668 via off-grid systems powered by solar and mini-hydro power stations.
In June, Mozambique launched a tender to install another 30-megawatt solar power station in Dondo, also in Sofala, resuming the Programme for the Promotion of Renewable Energy Auctions (Proler), developed in partnership with the European Union.
According to a tender launched at the time by the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, the aim is to give «priority to competitive and transparent tendering procedures for the selection of private investors with adequate technical and financial capacity and an interest in developing renewable energy generation projects, leading to the selection of lower-cost solutions for consumers».
The chairman of EDM's board of directors, Joaquim Ou-chim, previously told Lusa that the state-owned company plans to invest $82 million in 2026, of which around $70 million will come from the ProEnergia Project, funded by the World Bank, and $12 million will be provided by the state-owned company itself.
«This effort forms part of the strategic commitment to achieve 100% access to electricity by 2030, through the expansion of the National Electricity Grid, the implementation of off-grid solutions and the strengthening of existing infrastructure, ensuring greater energy inclusion,» said Ou-chim.
He added that the state-owned electricity company aims to make at least 420,000 new connections by the end of 2026, benefiting around two million people.
EDM noted that the national electrification rate has already reached 66.4% and that grid expansion and off-grid solutions programmes are underway to accelerate energy coverage.
PVJ/ADB // ADB.
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