- The Zambian Government has received financing for the final phase of its renewable energy programme.
- The funds which are provided by the EU is envisaged to improve power supply for 200,000 people.
- The Programme also hopes to stimulate private sector investment in renewable energy development.
The Zambian government has received funds to implement the IAEREP (Increased Access to Electricity and Renewable Energy Production) programme. About $23 million in grant funding (about 595 million kwachas) has been provided by the European Union (EU) for the third phase of the project.
The EU states that the funds will finance six projects under the programme allowing for improved electricity supply to 200,000 Zambians. According to Zambia’s Energy Minister, Matthew Nkhuwa, Zambia’s “The Zambian government’s target is to achieve 91% urban electrification and 51% rural electrification by 2031. Currently, 9 million Zambians live without electricity.”
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The IAEREP programme is scheduled to be completed in three years. The first phase saw the government provide support to public institutions to develop/revise the legal and regulatory framework to deploy renewable energy and energy efficiency. The second phase involved strengthening the capacity of public and private stakeholders in Zambian renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency solutions development.
The European Development Fund (EDF) country office in Zambia believes that this final component will help stimulate the emergence of sustainable business models for energy services to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency at the national level. This will also d encourage the private sector to participate in the rural electrification programme, they say. The belief is that the IAEREP programme will lead to better electricity service for 4 million Zambians.