AFDB to Support Utility-scale Wind Farm Project in Mozambique
The African Development Bank-managed Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) has approved US $ 985,000 to Parque Eólico da Namaacha S.A SPV, to support project preparation activities for a utility-scale wind farm project in Mozambique.
The project will provide reliable and clean power to the grid-connected population and industries in Maputo Province, add 60 MW peak power to the grid and expand transmission capacities. Further, SEFA aims at rendering the project a replicable wind farm reference for the Southern Africa Region.
The intervention will trigger bankability and financial close of what will likely be the first utility-scale wind farm in Mozambique, contributing to reducing the significant peak-load gaps exhibited by the grid in Southern Maputo Province. SEFA funding will be instrumental in supporting the development of the project towards financial close, by covering the costs of technical and legal advisory services as well as of parts of the environmental and social impact assessment.
The Project is aligned with the Bank's Ten Year Strategy focusing on inclusive/green growth through the delivery of energy access, the Bank's Private Sector Development Strategy (2013-2017) through leveraging of private sector financing, the Bank's Energy Sector Policy 2012 and the New Deal on Energy for Africa. On national level, the project is closely aligned with the on-grid pillar of the “Estratégia de Desenvolvimento de Energias Novas e Renovaveis para o período de 2011-2025” (EDENR), the “Plano Comunitário Energético Sustenável” (PCES) and the “Plano Director Energético Global” (PDEG).
About the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA):
Launched in 2012, SEFA is a US $90-million multi-donor facility funded by the governments of Denmark, the United Kingdom, the United States and Italy. It supports the sustainable energy agenda in Africa through grants to facilitate the preparation of medium-scale renewable energy generation and energy efficiency projects; equity investments to bridge the financing gap for small- and medium-scale renewable energy generation projects; and support to the public sector to improve the enabling environment for private investments in sustainable energy. SEFA is hosted by the Renewable Energy Department of the AfDB.