Mozambique has reopened the bidding process for a 30 MW solar power project in Sofala province, reviving a tender that was previously awarded but never progressed to construction.
The country’s energy regulator, Energy Regulatory Authority (ARENE), has issued a new pre-qualification notice inviting independent power producers (IPPs) to develop, finance, build, operate, and maintain the solar plant in Dondo district. Interested bidders have until June 22 to submit expressions of interest, with full proposals expected in the second half of the year.
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Renewable Energy Auctions Promotion Programme
This marks a relaunch of the Dondo project, which was initially tendered in 2020 under Mozambique’s Renewable Energy Auctions Promotion Programme (PROLER). The project was awarded in April 2022 to Total Eren, but has since stalled, prompting ARENE to reopen the process without disclosing the reason.
PROLER, launched in September 2020 by the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy with backing from the European Union and Agence Française de Développement, aims to deliver utility-scale renewable projects through competitive tenders.
Despite targeting over 100 MW of new solar and wind capacity, none of the projects under the programme had reached financial close or begun construction as of April 2026. The Dondo solar plant, located near Beira and connected to Mozambique’s central grid, is expected to operate under a 25-year power purchase agreement with Electricidade de Moçambique. The facility was originally planned at 40 MW but has since been downsized to 30 MW.
The pre-qualification process is being administered by ARENE from its Maputo office, with applicants required to pay a non-refundable fee of MZN 20,000. PROLER initially included four projects—three solar plants in Dondo, Manje, and Lichinga, and a wind project in Inhambane. While tenders for some of the other sites have also been relaunched, progress across the programme has remained slow.
