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The pilot project will have a capacity of 10 to 40 MW.
- The project intends to take advantage of the new policy implemented by the Zambian government.
- Interested IPPs have until March 21 to submit their requests for qualification.
Zambian energy company Greenco Power Services Limited (Greenco) is seeking independent power producers (IPPs) to develop a 10 to 40 MW pilot solar power plant in Zambia. The company has commenced the procurement process with qualification screening.
“The pilot project will generate up to 80 GWh of power per year, which will be allocated to a mix of large consumers and utilities in Zambia, and regional competitive markets,” the company said in a statement.
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The pilot project intends to take advantage of the new open-access regime introduced by the Zambian government under the Electricity Act 2019 and the Energy Regulation Act 2019. This new policy makes it easier for IPPs to operate in the country. Previously, only the state-owned utility, Zesco, could sell energy to the final consumers. The solar plant will sell power to Greenco under a long-term power purchase agreement.
Zambia currently has only 2.8 GW of installed power and electricity access of 31%. Zambia is looking to increase its solar energy capacity via its Scaling Solar program and the Zambian REFiT Strategy (supported by the German development bank KFW). The government aims to deploy 500 MW of solar PV by 2023.