Zambia's Zesco, Power China lock 600-MW solar deal

Zambia’s state-owned electricity company Zesco Ltd has teamed up with Power China to jointly install 600 MW of grid-connected solar parks in three districts in Zambia.

The companies have clinched three deals with a combined value of USD 548 million (EUR 502.7m), Zesco said last week. The contracts will enable the construction of three photovoltaic (PV) plants of 200 MW each in the districts of Chibombo, Chirundu, and Siavonga.

The project is expected to improve the country’s access to reliable power supply and enhance industrial development, said Zesco’s managing director Victor Mulenga Mundende. Specific details about the timeline of the three schemes were not provided.

Zambia currently has 2.8 GW of power generation capacity, of which 2.38 GW is from hydropower plants. The country is already self-sufficient in terms of electricity supply and is expected to have surplus generation by 2022 after the commissioning of renewables projects that are now under development. The nation is implementing a plan to diversify its power mix by adopting additional renewable energy sources and in 2019 awarded 120 MWp of projects under its feed-in tariff (FiT) programme.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.917)

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!