Mozambique is a long, narrow country running down the Indian Ocean coast, with the capital in the far south and large populations spread through the centre and north. Great rivers cross it on their way to the sea, and tropical cyclones arrive from the ocean in some seasons. All of these shape what clean energy can do there. This page gives general background; for current plans and numbers, consult official sources such as the energy ministry and the national utility.
Rivers first
Large rivers, including the Zambezi, have long made hydropower central to the country's electricity. Hydro is valuable alongside wind and solar because water can be held back when the sun is shining and released when demand peaks. The catch is that hydro depends on rainfall, and dry years upstream can reduce output. Adding solar and wind is one way to spread that risk.
Sun across the country
Most of Mozambique gets good sunshine, although the rainy season brings more cloud. Solar can be built close to where people live, which matters in a country where moving power from one end to the other means very long transmission lines.
Wind on the coast and the hills
Coastal areas and some inland highlands may offer usable wind, but any site needs careful measurement before anyone can say whether it is worth developing. Our guide to reading a wind map explains why a broad map is only a starting point.
Designing for storms
Cyclones are the factor that sets Mozambique apart from many other countries on these pages. Any wind turbine, solar frame or power line near the coast needs to withstand extreme gusts and flooding. That raises costs, and it also makes the case for distributed systems: if one central plant or line fails, a network of smaller, local sources can keep essential services running.
Reaching rural households
Large parts of the rural population live far from the main grid. Solar home systems, often paid for in small instalments by mobile money, and village mini-grids are common ways to bring basic power to these areas faster than wires can.
Gas and regional trade
Mozambique also has significant natural gas resources and trades electricity with neighbours through a regional power pool. How renewables fit alongside gas and exports is a policy question that changes over time.
Financing questions
- How is cyclone and flood risk insured?
- Who buys the power, and in which currency?
- Will maintenance teams and spare parts be available in remote provinces?
See our financing explainer and the Country Notes hub for more.