Friday, March 29, 2024

Zambia signs second scaling solar mandate to develop another 500MW of renewable energy

Share

Solar Modules
Solar Modules

Government has signed agreements for a second mandate with Scaling Solar, the World Bank Group program that is helping developing countries procure low cost, privately financed, solar power.
This is Zambia’s second engagement with Scaling Solar and it follows successful auctions held in May 2016 for two solar PV plants of up to 50 MW each that attracted some of the world’s top renewable energy developers.

The winning developers and relevant Zambian government agencies are in the process of concluding their agreements, which are expected to be finalized in May 2017, and the World Bank Group’s Board approved a package of financing and guarantees for one of the two winning bidders and will review the same for the second winner in the coming weeks.

The new Scaling Solar mandate will begin with an initial procurement round of up to 200 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale clean energy, with subsequent rounds to follow with a goal of developing 500 MW of renewable power.

The Request for Qualifications for the second round are expected to be released in late March 2017.

Only about a fifth of the population in Zambia has access to electricity and the country often experiences up to 10 hours a day of load shedding or blackouts.

The Scaling Solar mandate will be led by the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), Zambia, in close coordination with the Ministry of Energy, and is expected to comprise the structuring and tendering of up to four solar plant projects of 50 MW to 100 MW each.

Each plant will be developed by different private sector sponsors through an open and competitive bidding process.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of IDC Zambia Mateyo Kaluba, said completing a first solar public-private partnership in a country is a massive undertaking.

Mr Kaluba said the package of bankable documents, transaction structuring advice, and research that Scaling Solar provided saved us considerable time, attracted more competitors, and ensured a successful process.

He said the biggest benefit has been having the Scaling Solar team every step of the way to keep the process moving forward.”

“The partnership between Scaling Solar and IDC Zambia is successfully delivering the affordable renewable energy needed to ease the country’s ongoing energy crisis,” said Oumar Seydi, IFC Director of Eastern and Southern Africa.

“Access to electricity is vital for achieving development goals. In Zambia, Scaling Solar has helped create a market that will make it easier for the public and private sectors to work together to meet the country’s energy needs and expand opportunities for families and businesses.”

16 COMMENTS

    • From the Verandah –
      HH is cursing at the Sun for making this possible! The Chibwantu is warm, bring him some ice!

    • This is meant to be good news, but alas

      I get the feeling there is a small print, to this whole thing which doesnt suit Zambia.

      It is like being given a mug to use for a cup of coffee. It is NOT the outside of the mug that makes you use it, it is how clean the mug is, inside.

      Signing a contract means nothing. You are being duped, retarded Zambians

      Thanks

      BB2014,16

    • Tell me which industry can be powered by solar power batombolilo. Not even the Zambian Retard’s home so excitedly built as a dirty self made brick, that has no sewer lines or running water (as seen in Chalala, and site and Service areas in all townships in Zambia) can be powered…While climate change is real, the hypocrisy by the west means keeping Africa under-developed for the next millennia-light-years, while they burn millions of tonnes of fossil based energy like coal and HFO…..Stop being retards you Zambians…Utulo pamenso nanomba tabulacha..exactly you voted drunk Lungu!!! wake up!

  1. The hapless visionless PF goverment should have set up a solar panel assembly plant in zambia using zambia copper for the wiring.

    But this requires hard work and no bribes to be found so they can’t even think of that.

  2. Ba IDC has not yet identified land for this so called 500 MW, not to mention that the grid can only take upto 300 MW as the situation stands. Lets not play politics ba Mateyo you definitely dont know what you are talking about, there is no way in hell the IDC with clueless Mutati will ever accomplish anything

  3. Upnd cadres and HH himself hate this kind of good news.since first week of February 2017,zesco has ended load shedding in my area and in many parts of Zambia because water levels at kariba dam has improved due to a good rain season we are having.in 2016 HH stood on top of the mountain cheating Zambians that its not low water levels at kariba dam which is causing load shedding but PF’s poor leadership.now HH’s lies have been exposed and today he is quiet!!by 2021 load shedding will be zero!!Well done PF Govnt and continue developing mother Zambia!!!THE MILES BETWEEN HH AND STATE HOUSE KEEPS ON INCREASING!!!GO ECL GO.IN 2021 IT WILL BE WALK OVER FOR PF!!

  4. The solar panels only work in the day time , also not well in the wet season there are no battery backup as its not possible for that size of storage . so what happens when everyone uses power at night?

  5. look at the GRIDBOW solar energy program for$30million. Why is it going through thye MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE insted of the POWER MINISTRY. Even if for farm blocks Energy Ministry is the overriding body. Why through AGRICULTURE.MINISTRY
    Anyone able to clarify

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading