Access to energy is about far more than electricity. It is the foundation for economic opportunities, resilient communities, better public services and long-term environmental protection.

CIRCOSOL is an initiative that supports the transition towards a more sustainable and inclusive development model in northern Mozambique by combining renewable energy, circular economy principles and local capacity building. Rather than delivering infrastructure alone, the project strengthens the conditions that enable communities, institutions and local businesses to generate lasting socio-economic value through clean energy.

Funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), CIRCOSOL brings together technical expertise, community engagement and entrepreneurial support to accelerate a locally driven energy transition.

Why it matters

Access to clean energy is about more than electricity. It is about creating opportunities for people, strengthening local economies, and ensuring that no one is left behind in the energy transition.

In Mozambique, many rural communities still face limited access to reliable energy services, while women and young people often encounter additional barriers to participating in the green economy. By combining renewable energy with local entrepreneurship, skills development, and community engagement, the project promotes a model of development that is both circular and inclusive.

What the project does

The project combines access to renewable energy with entrepreneurship, education and community engagement to create a model of development that extends well beyond the installation of Solar Home Systems. Alongside the deployment of clean energy solutions, the initiative strengthens local capacities by supporting new business opportunities and promoting the sustainable use of energy within rural communities.

A strong emphasis is placed on awareness and knowledge sharing. Community outreach activities will engage villages across the project area, while dedicated educational programmes in primary and secondary schools will help raise a new generation that understands the value of renewable energy, environmental stewardship and circular development.

To ensure that information reaches even the most remote communities, Engreen and LVIA will also develop a series of radio awareness campaigns, using local media to promote clean energy solutions, encourage community participation and foster a culture of sustainability. At the same time, the project supports community-based distribution models for Solar Home Systems, creating new economic opportunities while making renewable energy more accessible to households that would otherwise remain underserved.

This integrated approach ensures that renewable energy becomes not only an infrastructure investment, but also a catalyst for social inclusion, local entrepreneurship and long-term community resilience.

Expected impact

The project aims to demonstrate that renewable energy can become a catalyst for broader social and economic transformation. By combining access to clean energy with entrepreneurship, education and community engagement, it creates the conditions for more resilient and self-sustaining rural communities.

Particular attention is given to ensuring that women and young people represent the majority of the project’s beneficiaries, not simply as recipients of new technologies, but as active participants in the local energy transition. Through skills development, awareness campaigns and new livelihood opportunities, the initiative seeks to increase their participation in the green economy while promoting equal access to its benefits.

By strengthening local knowledge through schools, community outreach and radio campaigns, the project also contributes to building a stronger culture of sustainability that extends beyond the lifetime of the intervention. The result is a more inclusive model of rural development, where renewable energy supports economic opportunities, environmental resilience and greater community ownership—creating an approach that can be replicated across Mozambique and beyond.

Engreen’s role

Engreen leads the project’s communication, awareness-raising and community engagement activities, working closely with local partners to ensure renewable energy solutions are understood, adopted and embedded within communities. 

Our work includes designing awareness campaigns, supporting school outreach programmes, producing radio communication initiatives together with LVIA, and contributing to community-based approaches that encourage local entrepreneurship, including the development of networks for the distribution of Solar Home Systems.

Consortium

CIRCOSOL is implemented by a multidisciplinary consortium bringing together expertise in international cooperation, engineering, research and sustainable development:

• LVIA – Associazione Internazionale Volontari Laici (Italy) – Project Coordinator
• Engreen (Italy)
• MIRUKU (Mozambique)
• Politecnico di Milano – POLIMI (Italy)