Zimbabwean Independent Power Producer (IPP) Utopia Power Company Limited is set to construct a 15 megawatt solar plant in Bromley 48km east of Harare at a cost of $18 million.
Construction is expected to start in the fourth quarter of this year with power generated being fed into the national grid by the second half of 2017.
The company was awarded an electricity generation licence by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) recently and was also granted an investment licence by the Zimbabwe Investment Authority in December 2015.
Utopia Power Company managing director Mr Shongwe Ndoro said the company was currently finalising agreements with local and international technical and financial partners.
“The project has attracted the attention of serious local and international players that will work as strategic partners, both from a technology and funding perspective.
“This points to the fact that Zimbabwe remains a good investment destination,” he said.
“We are beginning to make strides in the commercial exploitation of renewable energy sources and this stimulates the pursuit of low carbon sustainable development pathways.
“This also positions Zimbabwe for a cleaner, greener future while mitigating the effects of climate change as we build resilience to the impacts of global warming.
“In line with this our company is geared to bring, to both rural and urban communities, the appropriate technical innovations that ensure availability of solar power for all at long term competitive prices.”
Mr Ndoro said that the increased generation capacity that the project brings to the economy will also put the country on a sound footing for increased industrial and agricultural production.
“Zimbabwe’s energy sector is just as competitive as any in the world and Utopia Power Company will bring into the country technology that is comparable to any on the global stage, at competitive rates,” said Mr Ndoro.
He added that his company will facilitate technological skills transfer as well as create new employment while stimulating the local manufacture of some of the components that are required by the plant; including panels, batteries and investors.
The development comes at a time when Government and industry stakeholders are exploring a number of initiatives designed to stimulate investment in alternative energy sources in order to improve the availability and affordability of energy in the face of the current power supply challenges.
The country is facing a deficit of 400MW against a demand of 1 400MW with the deficit being bridged by power imports.
Government is however, targeting excess generation by 2018 due to various public and private sponsored power generating initiatives being explored around the country.
- The Herald (Zim Papers)