Proler in Mozambique

All renewable energy projects awarded in Mozambique to independent power producers (IPPs) were previously granted via direct award. PROLER aims to provide an element of increased competitiveness in awarding these tenders and is therefore a game changer.

The main objective of PROLER is to design a sound technical, financial and legal framework which is attractive to the private sector so that the bidding for solar and wind energy projects is accomplished through a transparent and competitive process.

An added benefit for the government of Mozambique is that PROLER is intended to enable the public entities involved in the energy sector – MIREME, ARENE and EDM – to develop the capacity to fully manage the procurement of renewable energy projects in the future.

PROLER consists of four renewable energy projects – three solar and one wind – which are projected to have a total installed capacity of around 120MW. The contracts will be awarded to private IPPs through the launching of public tenders. Dondo, a solar project with a planned capacity of 40MW, is the first project to pass the tender stage.

PROLER also has broader, positive implications for the economy overall. The three solar power plants planned for construction are expected to supply enough electricity to power 300,000 households while reducing the country’s CO2 emissions by 25,000 tonnes annually. The power supplied will be a high-quality service, provided at a reduced cost, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of Mozambique’s economy.

One of PROLER’s projects is the Manje Photovoltaic Solar Power Plant, which Electricidade de Moçambique says “is a part of the government’s policy and EDM’s strategic objective of achieving universal access to electricity by 2030 and developing renewable energy projects to be connected to the national electricity grid in order to reinforce the availability of energy in the Tete region.”