U.S. Embassy
Avenida Kenneth Kaunda, 193
Caixa Postal, 783
Maputo
MOZAMBIQUE
PRESS RELEASE
USTDA Awarded Funding for Solar and Storage project in Mozambique
August 28, 2018 – The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a grant today to Mozambican company WHN Solar, S.A. for a feasibility study to assess the viability of a solar photovoltaic plant of up to 100 megawatts. The plant would be developed in increments of 20-40 MW and include an associated energy storage facility located on the property of Nacala International Airport in Nampula Province in northeastern Mozambique.
The study supports the development of the Mozambican grid in the Nacala region, which suffers from a lack of sufficient generation capacity and stability issues. The energy storage component of the project can help stabilize the grid. WHN Solar selected HDR International, Inc. (Omaha, NE), a multidisciplinary engineering, environmental, and consulting firm, to conduct the feasibility study.
The U.S. Commercial Service in Maputo connected WHN Solar and USTDA, and later introduced WHN Solar to financial advisor Fieldstone Africa, which will be a subcontractor to HDR International. The U.S. Commercial Service is the trade promotion arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and they assist US companies in Mozambique.
“USTDA is pleased to support this important project that will help diversify Mozambique’s energy generation mix,” said Paul Marin, USTDA’s Acting Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa. “At the same time, the project represents business opportunities for U.S. companies in a key sector in Mozambique.”
“We wish to thank USTDA for its contribution to the development of this pioneering project,” said Ntanzi Carrilho, Executive Director and CEO of WHN Solar. “With USTDA’s support, we hope to improve the quality and security of power supply in the region, with a positive impact on local communities.”
Ambassador Dean Pittman, U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique, signed the grant on behalf of USTDA along with Mr. Carrilho at a ceremony in Maputo, Mozambique.
For more information about this press release, please contact the U.S. Embassy Maputo Press Office at MaputoPress@state.gov.
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