Renewable Energy Projects and Incentives
Mohéli is championing renewable energy both as a path to sustainability and as an investment opportunity. The island’s abundant sunshine, steady winds in certain areas, and potential for biomass and marine energy make it ideal for renewable energy projects. The government, under its climate and energy policy, actively seeks investors and partners in this sector and offers various incentives.
One major project underway is the installation of solar power plants across the islands, including Mohéli. Specifically, a 1 MW solar farm with a 1 MWh battery storage system is being developed on Mohéli as part of the Comoros Solar Energy Access Project . This project, backed by international financing, demonstrates the viability and commitment to solar energy. Investors can participate in the expansion of solar mini-grids to more remote communities or even in scaling up the main solar farm. The government offers incentives such as land provision (or long-term leases at nominal rates) for renewable projects, import duty exemption on renewable energy equipment (solar panels, inverters, wind turbines, etc.), and attractive feed-in tariffs that allow private producers to sell excess electricity to the public grid at favorable rates.
In addition to solar, wind energy potential is being assessed on Mohéli’s higher ridges and coastal promontories. Preliminary studies suggest that small to medium-scale wind turbines could be effective. An investor interested in wind would find support in obtaining the necessary environmental clearances swiftly and potentially co-financing from climate funds that the government can help tap into.
For biomass and waste-to-energy, Mohéli’s scale means projects would be small (like using agricultural waste or urban waste to generate biogas for power in a village). These community-level projects are often eligible for grants and technical support. The government provides technical assistance and training for local operators in maintaining such systems.
Investors and innovators in marine energy (such as tidal or wave energy) will find an unexplored but promising frontier. While no marine energy installations exist yet on Mohéli, the government is open to pilot projects and can facilitate research access and licensing for experimental technologies in this arena.
In terms of incentives, beyond tax and customs breaks, the government ensures that renewable energy projects can benefit from carbon credits and global climate finance. Comoros’ climate commitments enable projects in Mohéli to be registered under programs like the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) or its successors, potentially generating an extra revenue stream through carbon credits for every ton of emissions avoided.
The Renewable Energy Facilitation Unit in the Ministry of Sustainable Development acts as a one-stop helpdesk for potential investors. From identifying sites and resource data to navigating the regulatory process (which has been simplified with standardized Power Purchase Agreement templates and grid interconnection standards), this unit assists at each step.
The push for renewable energy is not only environmentally driven; it’s an economic strategy. By reducing costly fuel imports, Mohéli improves its trade balance and energy security. Therefore, the government often co-invests (in-kind or through infrastructure support) in feasible renewable projects. For instance, it might invest in upgrading transmission lines or substations to handle new power feed-ins from an independent power producer.