120MW solar power for productive farms

ZIMBABWE Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) Holdings has announced plans to secure funding for the installation of approximately 120 megawatts of solar power at productive farms across the country.

This comes as the power utility firm has increased the ring-fenced power allocation for farmers from 100MW to 150MW starting this month.

In a statement detailing the power supply situation in the country, Zesa executive chairman, Dr Sydney Gata said as a way of supporting production by farmers, the farming load was being prioritised when power generation is not adequate to meet demand.

“Zesa Holdings is mobilising financing for the installation of about 120MW of solar power at productive farms,” he said.
“This will ease the demand from farming load on the system and at the same time allow farmers to feedback excess energy to the grid.”

Dr Gata said Zesa has been prioritising power to the winter wheat farmers.

“Ring-fenced power for these farmers has been increased from 100MW to 150MW starting August 2024. The farmers, therefore, have been spared from load shedding, except in instances of technical faults. Furthermore, to increase reliability of supply, there has been reinforcement of the network and installation,” he said.

This year’s winter wheat sits on 121 982 hectares with over 600 000 tonnes of the crop expected at an average yield of five tonnes per hectare.

Government this year turned challenges experienced in the past wheat seasons into enablers for enhanced production.
This included the ring-fencing of 100 megawatts (MW) of electricity for winter wheat to avoid disrupting irrigation scheduling, enough irrigation for 140 000 hectares, as well as the introduction of seasonal billing by the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa).

Other enablers include availing of adequate seed, chemicals and fertilisers, obtainability of finance from Government and private sector, co-ordinated monitoring and evaluation, mechanisation, insurance, joint ventures and migratory pest surveillance through use of seven drones.

The Government has also announced an incentive planning price of US$440 per tonne for wheat with assurance of timeous payments to farmers for all the wheat delivered to the Grain Marketing Board.-chronicles