ZESCO SIGNS 1000 MEGAWATT POWER PURCHASE DEAL
ZESCO Limited signs à landmark 1,000 MegaWatt (MW) solar power purchase agreement with SkyPower Global, a world leader in large-scale solar energy solutions.
Here are the highlights;
✅The initiative aims to substantially increase the renewable capacity to address both current and future energy needs as Zambia’s main objective is to increase industrial productivity and fulfil aspiration to attain over three million metric tons of annual copper production.
✅The agreement is a pivotal component of Zambia’s Integrated Renewable Energy Plan, designed to significantly enhance the nation’s renewable energy capacity to support sustainable growth.
✅President Hakainde Hichilema emphasised the strategic importance of the agreement.
✅The Green Giant Zambia project is a crucial component of the United Party for National Development (UPND) led Administration’s Integrated Renewable Energy Plan, especially in the context of the current drought owing to climate change.
As is the case for all UPND government dealings, they are scanty on details, but more on noise …and screaming headlines.
Where is this 1000 Mega Watts which Zesco intends to buy from sky global? Is it on the high seas , in the Sahara desert, Kalahari desert or in Zambia?
An impression is being created here that Zesco will access this power immediately…and when people start asking for this power to be added to the grid, then details start trickling in.
The truth is that the 1000 Mega Watts power is not there.
This company will have to look for a site, do feasibility studies, do the necessary environmental impact assessments, start construction works, instal Solar panels, commission, and only then will we see this power …may be in 2026.