Enabel spearheads a new model of international cooperation through climate-driven energy investment

Brussels, 17 March 2026 – Belgium and Mozambique are deepening their partnership in renewable energy through a cooperation model that is designed to mobilise climate finance, strengthen institutions and unlock private investment.

The cooperation is being highlighted this week during RENMOZ in Europe, a two-day event taking place in Brussels where Mozambican government and European private-sector are engaging on how to translate national energy commitments into structured, investment-ready programmes.

Mozambique’s Energy Transition Strategy sets an ambitious objective: universal access to electricity by 2030. Achieving this goal will require an estimated $19 billion in sector investment, of which roughly 50% are expected from private capital. Achieving this ambition depends not only on financing, but on credible governance, transparent procurement systems and regulatory frameworks aligned with international climate-finance standards.

In the words of President Daniel Chapo: “This transformation cannot be done in isolation. It demands solid partnerships. We build on a long foundation of trust with Europe – today oriented towards investment, innovation and the joint creation of opportunity.”

With vast potential, off-grid solutions are positioned as a key instrument for expanding access in rural and underserved areas. Translating the partnership into action, Mozambique’s National Energy Fund (FUNAE) and Enabel are working together to strengthen the institutional and regulatory conditions that make decentralised renewable energy commercially viable.

As Isália Dimene, CEO of FUNAE explains: “The partnership between FUNAE and Enabel has been instrumental in accelerating the expansion of energy access in rural areas. It also contributes to strengthening institutional coordination and alignment among the various stakeholders in the energy sector, promoting an integrated approach to off-grid electrification and the mobilisation of climate finance in order to capitalise on the private sector’s involvement in projects that contribute to the country’s sustainable and inclusive development.”

For Belgium, this reflects a deliberate evolution in international cooperation. Public funding is deployed as catalytic capital – reducing structural risk, strengthening governance systems and enabling markets capable of sustaining long-term investment.

“Across Mozambique and many of our partner countries, Enabel acts as a facilitator of climate finance, helping governments navigate complex funding mechanisms, build the right institutional capacities, and turn ambitious climate plans into bankable, implementable projects. From supporting access to Green Climate Fund resources to piloting innovative instruments such as debtforclimate swaps and carbon markets, our role is to bring partners together and make finance work for real climate action on the ground. RENMOZ shows how strong coordination across institutions can unlock the scale of investment needed for a resilient and lowcarbon future,” says Jean Van Wetter, CEO of Enabel.

By strengthening investment readiness and preparing bankable renewable energy clusters, the Belgium–Mozambique cooperation translates the European Union’s Global Gateway objectives of mobilising private capital and promoting sustainable infrastructure partnerships in Africa.

With 4.9 million new connections to deliver and billions in investment to mobilise, the priority is consolidating the institutional and investment frameworks that will shape Mozambique’s energy market well beyond the current planning horizon. Enabel remains committed to supporting that structural transformation.

© Photo credit : Januário Magaia