Private sector commended for investing in solar energy

ZIMBABWE is sitting on huge renewable energy potential particularly from solar amid revelations that some solar panels installed on rooftops, farms and other corporate entities are yet to be connected to the national grid.

Speaking at the recent International Renewable Energy Conference in Victoria Falls, Energy and Power Development permanent secretary Dr Gloria Magombo said Government commends private sector players that have invested in solar as an alternative energy source.

She said there are more than a dozen solar projects that have been installed countrywide and some of them are already running and connected to the national grid.

She said Caledonia Mine had put up a 12MW solar plant at its Blanket Mine in Gwanda and the solar project is the biggest in the country in terms of output.

Solgas solar plant in Mabale, Hwange, with a capacity of 5MW is the second biggest.
“Since the last renewable energy conference we have seen a new solar plant at Blanket Mine in Gwanda owned by Caledonia Mine coming online.

They have the biggest solar plant in the country and is connected to the national grid. I would like to acknowledge that as part of these conferences we take an opportunity to visit some of the projects and we visited Solgas which before the Blanket Mine was the biggest solar plant with 5MW and we appreciate their role.

“They are working on an expansion programme where they want to bring an additional capacity to the grid and so we encourage them to continue since they now have the experience and they should be able to move forward,” said Dr Magombo.

She said the other projects are the 1,5MW plant in Guruve which has been connected into the national grid and another project in Gwanda with almost 2MW and is undergoing cold commissioning,

Schweppes has also built a 1,5MW plant, Econet Wireless has about 3 to 4 MW at different sites, Old Mutual Itself has almost 0,5MW at their own site which they have since connected to the national grid and Tanganda has built a 4MW plant.

Dr Magombo said all the projects, except for the Caledonia Mine plant, are funded locally by institutions such as Old Mutual, National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and Public Service Pension Fund confirming the Second Republic’s approach of harnessing local resources to fund development.

“There is a lot that is happening and we have many other institutions which I have not mentioned by name, especially in the agricultural sector where we have seen a lot of growth. We have been encouraging the private sector to come in and start projects.

Local funding boost solar energy output

Many of the projects that are being implemented are being funded from local resources. We really acknowledge that we have energy shortage challenges but Government and independent power producers are working together to address the problem,”she said.

Dr Magombo said there are consumers, especially large agricultural users who have built their own plants to power irrigation systems to value add on their farms and other processes which are very crucial.

She said over the last decade only two percent of renewable energy investment has come to Africa and as such most projects are locally funded.

Dr Magombo said while external investment is needed, Government is creating an enabling environment to ensure local financiers get the necessary guarantees and access to foreign exchange through the local auction system.

She said the issue of energy security is an area that cannot be solved by one entity hence the need for partnerships between Government and private sector.

Government, through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, last year came up with the Government Project Implementation Support Agreement to support new projects and to allow for other financiers from outside to come in.

Zesa

Dr Magombo said Government agreed with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) and Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) that there will be benefits for those that connect to the national grid.

“What is so critical is to acknowledge that these projects which are being built now are being funded locally and we are saying as a country we need to put funding together.

We already have panels producing over 50MW which have been imported into this country which are installed on rooftops, farms and other different corporate entities which we need to harness so that they feed power into the national grid,” said Dr Magombo. -chronicle.cl.zw