Maputo, Mozambique, 10 March – The capitals of the 12 districts of the Mozambican province of Inhambane will all be linked to the national electricity grid by the end of this year, said the director of Mozambican power company, EdM for the province.

According to daily newspaper Notícias, Eduardo Inhalo said that work to extend the electricity grid to the district capitals of Panda, Mabote and Funhalouro, as part of a rural electrification programme underway in the province, which is one of the poorest in the country.

In 2010, EDM in Inhambane invested over 200 million meticals (US$6.5 million) to boost its capacity to supply power to the north of the province, mainly through acquiring and assembling groups of generators at the Temane power plant, which led to production increasing from 1.8 megawatts to 5 megawatts.

According to Eduardo Inhalo, part of that amount was used to expand and improve the medium and low voltage networks in the towns of Vilanculos and Inhassoro, by several dozen kilometres.

In Inhambane EdM currently supplies electricity to the district of Machanga, in neighbouring Sofala province, which benefits some 3,700 customers. (macauhub)