Electricidade de Mocambique, the state-owned power company of Mozambique, has invited bids from consultancy firms to carry out feasibility studies to develop a floating solar project in Chicamba dam in the Manica province, Mozambique.

The last date to submit bids is January 28, 2022.

The scope of work includes preparing a technical and financial feasibility report for a floating solar project. The report should also incorporate an assessment of the environmental impact of the project infrastructure and interconnection lines on the dam and marine ecosystem and the socio-economic aspect of the proposed floating solar project.

The successful bidder must complete the feasibility study in 14 months from the letter of award.

The company has applied for financing from the African Development Bank towards the cost of feasibility studies of the floating solar project.

Only 34% of the population has access to power in Mozambique despite the southern African nation’s massive potential for power generation capacity. According to the International Trade Administration, this is because of an underdeveloped transmission and distribution network and a lack of financing.

According to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), in 2020, Mozambique had 2,313 MW of renewable energy capacity. Hydropower accounted for 2,204 MW, while solar and bioenergy accounted for 95 MW and 14 MW, respectively. The country had 602 MW of non-renewable energy in 2020.

In June 2021, Globeleq and Electricidade de Mocambique started constructing the 19 MW Cuamba solar project and a 2 MW energy storage system at the cost of $32 million. The project is expected to receive $19 million in debt funding from The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, a Private Infrastructure Development Group member. The project will also receive $7 million in grant funding from the development group’s viability gap funding facility and a $1 million grant from CDC Plus.

In 2020, the Fundo de Energia (FUNAE), a public institution to promote the conservation rational and sustainable management of power resources in Mozambique, issued a request for expression of interest (EoI) to conduct feasibility studies and draft projects for 11 solar mini-grids in the country.

Mercom had earlier reported that the United States Trade and Development Agency awarded a grant to WHN Solar for a feasibility study to assess the viability of solar projects up to 100 MW. The projects were expected to be developed in increments of 20-40 MW with an associated energy storage facility located on the land of Nacala International Airport in Nampula Province.