Page 12 - AfrElec Week 34 2022

AfrElec RENEWABLES AfrElec

Zambia power utility, ZESCO

launches tender for the building

of three 50MW solar projects

ZAMBIA ZAMBIA has kicked off a tender for the devel- around 95MW deployed in 2019 alone. The
opment and construction of 50MW of solar country has been supporting solar through the
photovoltaic plants in the Southern, Western, Scaling Solar programme and the Zambian
and Luapula provinces, Berlin-based PV Mag- REFiT Strategy, which is an initiative developed
azine reports. with the support of Germany’s KfW Develop-
It cited the Zambia Electricity Supply Cor- ment Bank.
poration (ZESCO) on August 22 as saying the The Zambian government aims to deploy
selected developers will own 90% of the pho- 500MW of solar PV by 2023. It announced fol-
tovoltaic (PV) facilities. ZESCO will hold the lowing the commissioning of 600MW of hydro
remainder. Interested investors have until Sep- capacity in July that it now has 1,100MW in
tember 2 to submit their proposals. surplus electricity. The country is generating
According to the International Renewable an average 3,400MW while peak demand is
Energy Agency (IRENA), Zambia had 96MW 2,300MW.™
of installed solar power at the end of 2021, with

Devki Group to develop

60-MW wind power plant

KENYA STEEL and cement company Devki Group has Kipeto Wind plant (100MW).
unveiled plans to develop a 60MW wind power Kenya has one of the highest power tariffs on
plant in Kenya to cut power costs. the continent, “a situation that stymies the coun-
In a disclosure to the National Environment try’s growth dividends, especially in the manu-
Management Authority, the company said that it facturing sector,” ESI Africa writes.
plans to develop the plant for its own consump- Devki’s move comes at a time when a number
tion in Samburu, Kwale County. of companies, including rival Bamburi Cement,
If approved, it would be the fourth major have been investing in renewables to operation
wind power plant in the country after Kenya costs.
Electricity Generating Company’s (KenGen) Devki Group, a privately owned conglomer-
Ngong wind plant (26.1MW), the Lake Turkana ate, focus on making building materials, includ-
Wind Power (LTWP) plant (310MW), and the ing cement, alu™

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