Mozambique's Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project commits to sustainability
A significant step has been taken towards more sustainable hydropower in Mozambique, with a collaboration between Mphanda Nkuwa Hydroelectric Project Implementation Office (GMNK), representing the Government of Mozambique acting through the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy (MIREME), and the 鶹Ƶ (鶹Ƶ).
The new partnership is building capacity within the Mozambique energy sector, with from 鶹Ƶ in how to improve the sustainability performance of hydropower projects, as well as providing guidance on the development of the Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower plant.
Joao Costa, 鶹Ƶ’s Head of Sustainability said: “This partnership aims to build awareness, facilitate dialogue and strengthen local institutional capacity to manage environmental, social and governance issues. GMNK have shown their strong commitment to hydropower sustainability and 鶹Ƶ is delighted to be working with them on this initiative.”
Carlos Yum, Executive Director at GMNK said: “The Mozambique Government is committed to a sustainable and clean energy system and hydropower has a central role to play in this. GMNK is very pleased to be collaborating with 鶹Ƶ on how to optimise the sustainability of the Mphanda Nkuwa project and expect to also gain important knowledge and lessons on how to approach future hydropower projects as well.”
A training course focused on how to assess the project’s sustainability using the internationally-recognised is being delivered this week and has been made possible with financial support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
An assessment of the project using the will also be implemented with the financial support of NORAD.
Mr Costa added “The enables hydropower project proponents and investors to identify and address gaps against international good practice across environmental, social and governance performance criteria. The tool provides an action plan to help project teams address any gaps against good practice. It is divided into 12 sections which are compatible with IFC’s Environmental and Social Performance Standards and the World Bank’s new Environmental and Social Framework.”
HESG criteria includes project benefits, community impacts, infrastructure safety, public health, cultural heritage, indigenous peoples, biodiversity and invasive species, erosion and sedimentation, climate change mitigation and resilience, among others.
This week’s training course had participants from government ministries and other key institutions in the energy sector such as: National Utility (Electricidade de Moçambique), the Cahora Bassa’s hydropower plant, the Energy Regulatory Authority, and Fundo Nacional de Energia. Non-governmental and civil society organisations attending included Justiça Ambiental, Centro Terra Viva, the World Wildlife Fund, and the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique.
About 鶹Ƶ and 鶹Ƶ Sustainability
The 鶹Ƶ (鶹Ƶ) is a non-profit membership organisation committed to sustainable hydropower. Our mission is to advance sustainable hydropower by building and sharing knowledge on its role in renewable energy systems, responsible freshwater management and climate change solutions.
鶹Ƶ Sustainability is a non-profit sub-division of 鶹Ƶ. It manages the under a mandate from the and its . As part of its management role, 鶹Ƶ Sustainability designs and delivers training and accreditation courses to practitioners in the use of the 鶹Ƶ Sustainability Tools. It also assists hydropower developers and operators to identify accredited assessors for independent project sustainability assessments.
For more information about the 鶹Ƶ Sustainability Tools, visit
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