Portuguese oil group Galp Energia will donate US$674,000 to Mozambique to finance solar energy projects to light primary schools and health facilities in rural areas of four provinces under an agreement signed on Tuesday in Maputo.

The agreement, signed between the Portuguese group and the Energy Fund (Funae), by their respective presidents, Carlos Silva and António Saíde, will provide about 700 schools and 600 health centres in the provinces of Cabo Delgado, in the north, Manica and Sofala (centre) and Maputo (south).

Mozambican news agency AIM reported that 201 solar energy systems, 669 schools, 623 health centres and 77 public buildings have already been electrified using solar energy systems, with a solar panel factory in operation in 2013.

The Galp Energia group has a 10% stake in the consortium for the development of the Rovuma basin in Cabo Delgado, Area 4, of which Italian group ENI is the operator and also has state-owned Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos (ENH) and South Korean group Kogas, also with 10% as partners.

The remaining 70% is owned by ENI East Africa, owned by the ENI and US ExxonMobil groups, both with 35.7% and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), with 28.6%. (source: macauhub)