SNV Mozambique through the BRILHO programme has supported over half a million Mozambicans to access modern energy solutions

As part of the implementation of the BRILHO Programme, SNV Mozambique has achieved by the first quarter of 2022 the installation of over 81,000 solar home systems and close to 30,000 improved cooking solutions from Rovuma to Maputo, representing a total of 550,000 Mozambicans in all provinces with access to electricity and thermal energy.

These numbers were presented by Javier Ayala, Energy Sector Leader of SNV Mozambique and Manager of the BRILHO programme, on Friday, 03 June 2022, at the Joaquim Chissano Conference Centre, during the 8th Edition of the Mozambique Mining, Oil & Gas and Energy Conference and Exhibition (MMEC).

SNV believes that the private sector has a crucial role to play in achieving the goal of universal energy access by 2030. In this regard, it financially and technically supports business initiatives to mitigate risk and accelerate entrepreneurial initiatives that aim to achieve competitive commercial returns and provide affordable, quality energy solutions in emerging off-grid markets.

The BRILHO Programme as part of its mandate, supports the creation and improvement of the business environment in the off-grid energy sector. By 2021, the programme under the leadership of the Government of Mozambique (GoM), represented by MIREME, ARENE and FUNAE, supported the development of Mozambique's first Off Grid Energy Access Regulation, approved by the President and Council of Ministers through Decree number 93/2021, approved on September 14th 2021. Currently the programme's efforts, in this area, are focused on the development and operationalisation of complementary technical regulations.

Launched in 2019, the programme is funded by around £29.3 million from the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and aims to stimulate the private sector supply of quality and affordable off-grid energy products and services to improve the lives of low-income people in Mozambique.

It is expected that with the programme by 2024, Mozambique will have access to quality energy through: Improved Cooking Solutions, including improved biomass kitchens, biogas, ethanol and electric cookers, benefiting 975,000 people; Off-Grid Electrification Solutions, including Solar Home Systems (SHS) and Mini Green Grids (GMG), benefiting 920,000 people; And Productive use of off-grid energy solutions, benefiting 17,000 small commercial businesses.