Southern African nation, Zambia, has revealed that it plans to generate about 1,000 MW of new solar power by the end of 2025, even as recorded an increased national electricity access rate from 34% to 54%.
The country’s Energy Minister, Makozo Chikote, said that rural access to electricity has also increased from 8% to 34% while urban access improved from 69% to 80%.
Chikote said the Zambian government remains focused on increasing renewable power generation.
The Minister, citing the recent commissioning of the 100MW Phase 1 Chisamba Solar Power Plant, said Zambia is on track to deliver an additional 1,000MW of solar PV capacity by the end of 2025.
“This is in line with President Hichilema’s directive, to help eliminate load shedding,” Chikote said.
Zambia has also issued licenses for the construction of solar power plants in the country to increase electricity production.
Chikote added that the government remained determined to provide sustainable solutions and build robust, climate-resilient energy systems through a series of reforms in both the electricity and petroleum sub-sectors.
Electricity sector reforms in Zambia
The Minister outlined the electricity sector reforms that have been put in place to ensure better service delivery for the public.
“Key reforms in the electricity sector include Net Metering where households and businesses can now install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and feed excess electricity into the national grid for monetary credit,” Chikote said.
Chikote also announced that ZESCO Limited had launched a promotional campaign to install 1,000 net metering systems free of charge, and that citizens were encouraged to apply at ZESCO service centres nationwide.
Additionally, to promote renewable and alternative energy technologies, the government had introduced tax and import duty incentives and simplified import procedures.
Chikote urged businesses to pass these savings on to consumers to help make renewable energy products more affordable for households and businesses.
