Our Approach...
Access to electricity is a critical element for economic development, and there is little doubt that the provision of energy for public services like remote health centres, schools and water supply (for vaccine refrigeration, lighting for maternity wards, pumping drinking water, lighting for evening study) offers a positive impact on quality of life for low-income communities in remote off-grid regions of Northern Mozambique.
We fundamentally believe that energy provision is the development catalyst which offers low-income communities social and economic opportunities. Our research shows that rural energy needs in isolated communities is extremely low, and only a small amount of electricity is necessary to improve the quality of life and sustainable development.
Water pumping
Quality of Life
Education
Labour-saving devices
Public services are central to achieving the Millennium Development Goals on health and education, and appropriate energy provision – such as wind power – will be an essential input to modernising and expanding service provision. To achieve the Millennium Development Goals means reaching the poorest and most isolated communities. These people live in rural areas where the conventional approach to electrification, through a centralised power plant and power-line distribution, often bypasses these communities because they live far from the grid.
The Clean Energy Company's commitment will demonstrate how wind power is a clean and sustainable energy source allowing an innovative means to rural electrification which is capable of offering economic and social development opportunities and reduce poverty in low-income rural areas. The project aims to establish vocational training and fabrication capacity in Pemba and and in Maputo which will ensure the skill and knowledge transfer for the local manufacture, installation and maintenance of low tech ‘permanent magnet generator’ micro-wind turbines.
The fabrication of the turbines will make efficient use of Mozambique's locally available wind energy, human and material resources while developing the indigenous innovative manufacturing and technical capabilities. In this way, the project ensures entrepreneurship development for all those involved. Ultimately the project will provide local employment rather than relying on imported skills by providing the training and skill transfer to manufacture cost-effective and robust micro wind turbines.
Key Insight: Locally produced renewable energy sources are ideally placed to offer income generation incentives for small enterprises and locally owned projects as they can be operated, supported and managed at a grass-roots local level. This is an important consideration within Mozambique, where higher levels of community engagement will generate a greater sense of community empowerment, and ultimately encourage a high degree of active responsibility.
02 April, 2011
