The Republic of Zambia is set to commission the Chisamba 100-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) project, executed by ZESCO Limited, at the end of May, this portal can report.
The project, which commenced in 2024, marks a significant shift from depending on hydropower.
Ahead of the project’s commissioning, ZESCO Limited’s Managing Director, Justin Loongo, toured the site alongside the media to enable them to appreciate the company’s efforts in addressing power outages in the country occasioned by prolonged drought.
“We have told Power China [the contractor] that this project was initially 200MW, signed by ZESCO in 2020 and novated to Kariba North Bank Expansion Corporation to do the first phase, which is 100MW. We have, therefore, told Power China that they must continue with the project so that by next year, we can have 200MW of electricity injected into the national grid,” he said.
The Chisamba 100MW solar PV project is part of the government’s strategic direction towards reducing overdependence on climate-risky hydroelectric power.
The Managing Director further disclosed that ZESCO is simultaneously implementing various solar projects across the country.
“We are replicating this solution in many places across the country. From here, our next stop is Serenje, where we have 25MW. The first 25MW will be commissioned this year in June, and an additional 25MW in September,” Eng. Loongo said.
“In Mansa, we are doing another 50MW. We hope this will be brought online by December this year. In Mumbwa, we have another project with the contractor already mobilized. We hope a 50MW will also be injected into the grid in Mumbwa. So, this year, we are implementing many solar solutions to ensure that load shedding is minimized,” he concluded.
Source:https://energynewsafrica.com
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