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Table 2 Comparative analysis of the energy landscapes in Mozambique and Ethiopia

From: Delivering an off-grid transition to sustainable energy in Ethiopia and Mozambique

Energy landscapes in

Governance context

Energy flows

People’s energy access

Mozambique

Inclusion of IPPs and international investors in energy provision and policy strategies

So far, off-grid development has been separated from main electrification strategies and depends on bilateral and multilateral assistance

Limited national capacity for energy development

The spatial separation of energy development strategies creates different rural and urban energy systems

Natural gas and hydropower continue to be the primary sources of electricity, fuelled by a focus on exports

Most households depend on biomass

Local biomass (Charcoal and firewood) markets disconnected from energy strategies

Fuels such as charcoal and firewood are embedded in the architecture, built environments, and local practices. Gender roles also shape them

Limited recognition of the diversity of productive energy uses and how they are inserted into people’s lives

Increasing interest in off-grid technologies

Ethiopia

Increasing attempts to introduce IPPs in energy provision alongside a strong state that shapes development trajectories

The close relationship between energy and development strategies, based on water and irrigation

High priority to hydropower resource development

Most households depend on biomass

Strong emphasis on universal energy access through off-grid technology deployment in peri-urban and rural areas, mobilising a range of energy sources (solar, biogas, mini-hydro)

Existing yet limited emphasis on wind energy development

Households’ preference for biomass with the limited but existing shift to solar household systems (e.g., Addis Ababa)

Income, cultural norms and gender shape the adoption of clean energy technologies such as improved cookstoves and solar PV systems