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The Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) has signed an agreement with electricity access provider Ignite Power to cover the distribution of solar home systems in off-grid areas in Mozambique. The partnership supports Ignite’s aim of supplying more than 300,000 solar home kits in the electricity deficit regions of the country.
The extended partnership agreement between Ignite Power and SNV Mozambique is a part of the BRILHO program. The program implemented by SNV is expected to provide clean energy access to nearly 1.5 million people and 15,000 businesses. Launched in 2019, the program has a mobilization of private funding worth £20 million.
The BRILHO program is funded by the United Kingdom Aid – Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (Ukaid-FCDO), and the Swedish Government’s agency for international development cooperation, Sida. In addition to providing electricity access, the five-year program is also facilitating the distribution of clean cooking solutions and the installation of solar mini-grids.
Bernie Chaves, SNV’s Country Manager in Mozambique, mentioned that the mandate of the BRILHO program is to create an ecosystem in the off-grid energy sector in Mozambique. It is accelerating access to clean and affordable energy solutions through innovative business initiatives along with providing a diverse range of solar-powered products and services for households.
Ignite Power has been operating in Mozambique since 2019 under the Energy For All program. The UAE-based solar home system provider has directly impacted more than 100,000 people in remote communities in Africa. Ignite offers sustainable life-enabling distributed infrastructure solutions, including solar home systems, solar-powered irrigation pumps, clean cooking stoves, and more.
Angela Homsi, Co-Founder of Ignite Power, said, it is highly important to combine capital support with smart, digital, and last-mile operations in order to reach large-scale impact. Ignite is proud to collaborate with the leading organization in Mozambique for creating economic development, better education, a safer & healthier environment, and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
Currently, around 70% of Mozambique’s population, i.e., more than 21 million people does not have access to electricity. The BRILHO program is supporting the Mozambican authorities’ goal of universal electrification via clean energy by 2030. The initiative encourages private investment in Mozambique to create a sustainable energy market.