The Permanent Secretary of Mozambique’s Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy said this Thursday that Africa is well positioned to be at the forefront of the energy transition, advocating increased infrastructure investment in the sector.
“The energy transition is irreversible, and the African continent is well positioned to lead this process equitably,” said Antonio Manda, speaking at the 58th meeting of the Association of African Power Utilities (APUA), in his report. abbreviation in English), which takes place in Maputo.
Manda emphasized that the continent has vast and diverse energy potential, including water, solar, wind and geothermal sources, the harnessing of which can transform the continent’s economy, ensure universal energy access and promote sustainable development.
“It is important to invest in diversifying the energy matrix because, in addition to its sustainability and low cost of implementation, this natural mechanism of energy production and distribution allows energy to reach the most remote communities faster, without betting on it. -network solutions,” emphasized the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy.
Manda recalled that African countries have committed to achieving universal energy access by 2030 as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
He called for efforts to develop the African energy sector holistically through interconnected energy networks and joint resource exploration, removing barriers to electrification and establishing companies in the region as centers of excellence.
“We will ensure that more Africans have access to energy,” he stressed.
In the case of Mozambique, he continued, the country is implementing a National Electrification Strategy, approved in 2018, aimed at expanding access to this resource, with a predominant role for renewable energy sources.
As an example of the country’s investment in the sector, he pointed to the ongoing construction of the 450-megawatt natural gas-fired Teman Thermal Power Plant (TPP), which will increase the country’s installed power generation capacity by about 16%. .
“These regional projects will strengthen Mozambique’s position as an energy hub capable of producing and transporting large volumes of increasingly greener energy, stimulating investment and production initiatives,” he stressed.
On the other hand, the implementation of the Energy for All (ProEnergia) program is accelerating the growth of the level of domestic access to electricity in the country, increasing from just over 35% in 2020 to the current 54%, said the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy.