- The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) is awarding a grant to GreenCo Power Storage, a Zambian-based company.
- The funding will support a study fordeployingf battery-based electricity storage systems.
The inconsistent availability of natural resources like wind for wind turbines and solar for solar energy is one of the key barriers to the development of renewable energy. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) intends to help Zambia create alternatives to clean energy production in order to lessen the impact of its erratic nature. A funding from the organization will go to the Zambian company GreenCo Power Storage.
The money will be used to research the viability of installing massive electricity storage systems in Zambia. To carry out the study with USTDA funds as part of its plan, GreenCo has contracted with American firm K&M Advisors.
The Sesheke district will host the pilot project’s implementation. Electricity produced by a solar photovoltaic plant will be stored by the system. This storage space will act as a prototype for the construction of 400 MWh of storage space all over Zambia. GreenCo estimates that the pilot project’s implementation will result in the creation of 600 employment over the short term and 20 more over the long run.
More significantly, the expansion of battery storage is anticipated to stimulate the generation of renewable energy and diversify Zambia’s electrical mix. Dams provide 81.5% of the electricity needed in this East African nation.
However, with drought episodes multiplying in Eastern and Southern Africa, Zambia is facing a drop in the level of dams and therefore in the production of electricity during the dry season.