Opinion Opinion
Zambia’s brighter energy outlook
ZAMBIA’S energy story has for too long been dominated by the question of whether the country has enough electricity to keep homes lit, businesses running and industries productive. The injection of 100 megawatts from the Maamba Solar PV Project into the national grid therefore represents…
Picture: Times of Zambia
ZAMBIA’S energy story has for too long been dominated by the question of whether the country has enough electricity to keep homes lit, businesses running and industries productive.
The injection of 100 megawatts from the Maamba Solar PV Project into the national grid therefore represents more than an addition to the country’s power generation capacity. It is a welcome sign that Zambia is gradually broadening the sources from which it generates electricity.
For a country whose electricity generation has historically depended heavily on hydropower, diversification is not simply desirable. It is becoming increasingly important.
The Maamba development comes at a time when the country is bracing for another difficult period of weather conditions and renewed pressure on water resources. Any additional generation capacity that does not depend on the availability of large volumes of water can provide an important buffer when hydropower comes under pressure.
The significance of the project also lies in its scale. A 100MW utility-scale solar facility is not a token intervention. It demonstrates that solar energy can move beyond small household installations and become an important component of the national electricity supply.
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There is also a broader economic message here.
Reliable electricity is fundamental to economic activity. Mines need power to operate, manufacturers need it to produce, farmers increasingly depend on electricity for irrigation and agro-processing, while small businesses need dependable power to remain productive.
Every additional source of reliable electricity therefore has implications beyond the power sector itself.
The US$90 million investment in the Maamba project also demonstrates the potential for partnerships between Zambian institutions and private investors to mobilise capital into critical infrastructure.
But the real test will be ensuring that the project moves successfully through commissioning and into sustained commercial operation.
Zambia should also resist the temptation to regard 100MW as the destination. It should be viewed as part of a much bigger energy diversification programme.
The country needs more solar, but also other viable sources of electricity, alongside continued investment in transmission, distribution, storage and the rehabilitation and expansion of existing generation capacity.
The objective should be an energy system that is not excessively vulnerable to one source, one technology or one weather pattern.
The Maamba solar project offers a practical example of what that diversification can look like.
As Zambia works towards increasing its generation capacity, projects such as this provide reason to believe that the country can gradually move from responding to electricity shortages to building an energy system capable of supporting long-term economic growth.
The sun is one resource Zambia has in abundance.
Turning more of that sunlight into dependable electricity could be one of the important steps towards securing the country’s energy future.
We salute those who have made this project feasible.
Source: Times of Zambia — Read more
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