Mozambique’s National Energy Fund (FUNAE) expects to complete ten electrification projects by the end of the first half of 2027, even as financial constraints continue to hamper construction works and the maintenance of energy infrastructure across the country.

The information was disclosed by the institution’s board chairman, Mety Gondola, who explained that FUNAE is reorganising its priorities, with particular focus on the Lúrio electrification project in Nampula Province, in the north of the country, where civil construction works remain unfinished.

According to Gondola, the entity already has resources in place to resume work, but is renegotiating its contract with the contractor due to disagreements over the costs associated with restarting the project. “What is certain is that we will electrify Lúrio. It is on our urgent priorities list,” he said.

Quoted by Lusa, Gondola also said FUNAE is prioritising the recovery of power stations that have been rendered inoperational by breakdowns, some of which have not supplied electricity for two to three years. “The objective is to restore the functioning of these infrastructures and expand access to electricity, especially in rural areas and communities far from the national grid,” he stressed.

Data presented by the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy indicates that Mozambique has achieved an energy access rate of 66.9%. In this context, FUNAE has put forward the National Programme for the Acceleration of Electrification through Mini-Grids (Promir), which envisages the installation of 363 mini-grids across the national territory.

Funding for 148 of these infrastructures has been secured in the provinces of Nampula and Niassa in the north, and Zambézia and Tete in the centre of the country.

In September, President Daniel Chapo announced the creation of a coalition to mobilise €966.5 million earmarked for off-grid electrification, as part of the goal of achieving universal energy access by 2030. To reach this target, the government plans to establish approximately 2.5 million connections through off-grid energy solutions.