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Elliot Ziwira Senior Writer

It is beyond doubt that power is energy and energy is life, for without this life-giving soul humanity’s progression is doomed.

In the absence of reliable energy sources, therefore, socio-economic development exists only in people’s minds.

Sustainable energy supply and economic growth should work in tandem for socio-economic transformation to be realised for the greater good of all citizens. For this positive connection to subsist, there should be enabling policy and regulatory frameworks.

With 2030 and its glad tidings of a golden future time clearly emblazoned on the horizon, the Second Republic, under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa, has spared no effort in the quest to take all Zimbabweans aboard the developmental train.

In addition to other cross-sectorial infrastructural development projects countrywide, the provision of sustainable modern energy sources stands out as a harbinger for great expectations. This can only be so because energy is life—it, indeed, encompasses and straddles all other sectors—because without power all else comes to naught.

Hence, the Second Republic, through the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, has been all-hands-on-deck powering Zimbabwe to collective socio-economic transformation through availing of opportunities in the energy subsector.

Policy, regulatory frameworks

The Government advanced policies aimed at giving direction and guidance in the sustainable generation of energy. The objective of these policies is to encourage use of renewable sources, which has seen the generation and use of solar energy increasing over the past five years.

These policies are the National Energy Policy (NEP) of 2012, the National Renewable Energy Policy (NREP) of 2019, and the Bio-fuels Policy of Zimbabwe (BPZ), 2019.

The NREP of 2019 incentivises the use of renewable energy and has set targets to be achieved by 2030. There are also targets for bio-fuel production and use in the Bio-Fuels Policy of Zimbabwe. All this is aimed at speeding up the adoption of renewable energies by opening up the energy space to private players, which will ultimately boost the country’s overall power generation capacity.

Other policy frameworks are Energy Efficiency Policy, and Electric Mobility Policy, with the later envisaged to offer tax incentives for compliance.

Regulations that govern the energy sector in Zimbabwe are the Electricity Act of 2002, Rural Electrification Fund Act, 2002, Petroleum Act, 2006, and Energy Regulatory Authority Act of 2011. The Electricity Act allows independent power producers (IPPs) in the renewable energy sector to generate and supply power to the national grid.

The Inefficient Lighting Products and Labelling Regulations of 2017, Net Metering Regulations of 2018 and Electricity (Solar Water Heating) Regulations of 2019, are among statutory instruments that support the regulations and policies highlighted above. The implementation of the Net Metering Scheme led to the connection of 82 entities, while an additional capacity of 2,4MW was connected to the grid as of May 2022.

Independent power producers

Although independent power producers (IPPs) are yet to contribute significantly in the supply of electricity, they have an installed capacity of more than 100 megawatt, which is being fed into the national grid.

The Zimbabwe Zhongxin Electric Energy (ZZEE) is producing 50MW, while Nyangani Renewable Energy is at 30MW, and Solar IPPs are at 10MW. An additional 13 IPPs are also in operation for their own consumption.

Last year figures indicate that some are on net metering with a capacity of 6MW. These are Econet, with four units, Old Mutual, Standards Association of Zimbabwe, Schweppes Zimbabwe, with two units, Tanganda Estates, and Padenga Holdings, among others. About seven other solar projects are still under construction with an additional 52MW. Also, ZZEE is set to expand its capacity.

Private companies and individuals have also installed rooftop systems at their properties as a result of the new policy regime. Available electricity from renewables is about 145MW, which is fed into the national grid. This means renewable energies contribute about six percent to the total electricity supply in Zimbabwe, excluding large-scale hydropower from Kariba.

Renewable energies: Solar power plants

Renewable energy generation has traditionally been dominated by bagasse at Triangle and Hippo valley estates. Electricity from cogeneration was used, and is still used for own consumption with excess power fed to the grid. Green Fuel has also been generating electricity from sugarcane bagasse.

In addition to the IPPs highlighted earlier on, there are other solar power generation projects at different stages of completion across the country.

Solgas Solar Power Plant

With an installed capacity of 5MW at phase 1, the Solgas solar power generation plant cost about US$12 million to build. It was commissioned by President Mnangagwa on March 18, 2022, and is feeding into the national grid.

Power Ventures Solar Power Plant

Another solar power supplier licensed to generate 100MW of electricity is Power Ventures located in the Hwange District of Matabeleland North Province. Under phase one, the plant’s capacity is 25MW.

Other ongoing projects

The Renewable Energy Policy of 2019 targeted installation capacity of 2 100MW clean power supply by 2030, with 1 575 of it being solar photovoltaic (PV). The adoption of the policy has inspired a capacity of about 145MW of renewable energy supply, which was connected to the national grid.

As of 2023, the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has licensed 104 IPPs, covering solar PV, thermal, mini-hydro and gas-fired technologies. The ongoing projects are at various stages of development.

Grid-connected solar power plants

Centragrid Solar Plant in Nyabira, Mashonaland West Province and Riverside Solar Plant in Mutoko, Mashonaland East Province, are each contributing 2,5MW to the grid. The projects are contributing, in their small way, to electricity generation in Zimbabwe, as the country is determined to achieve a target of 600 megawatts from independent power producers (IPPs) by 2030.

Centragrid Pvt Ltd is pushing to feed 25 megawatts into the national grid, a move that has been welcomed by the Government and brought relief to communities, especially those within the environs of the project.

The project sits on a 120-hectare plot, and has utilised 50ha under Phases 1 and 2, where expansion is currently underway to boost output from 2,5 megawatts to 25 megawatts. The upgrading of the remaining 22,5 megawatts began in 2022.

Grid-Tied, own-consumption solar projects

These projects are crucial in that they reduce pressure on the national grid by making power available for other users. As has been alluded to earlier on, corporates are key in these projects, with Kefalos, Nottingham and Padenga Holdings producing 0,6 megawatts, 1,5 megawatts, and 1,2 megawatts, respectively (by the end of last year), while Schweppes Zimbabwe and Econet are generating one megawatt each, for their own consumption.

Others are Tanganda Estates, which is producing 1,8 megawatts (to be upgraded to 7,5 megawatts), NatPharm (0,2 megawatts), Standards Association of Zimbabwe (0,18 megawatts), and Old Mutual (0,6 megawatts). The nine firms are generating a combined 7,48 megawatts.

Solar projects under development

There are quite a number of solar projects under development across the country, with a combined generation capacity of 127,5 megawatts, which once completed, will go a long way in making the country energy self-sufficient.

One of them is Blanket Mine (Pvt) Ltd in Gwanda, Matabeleland South Province, which has generation capacity of 17,5 megawatts, and includes battery storage. Developed for own use, the project was expected to be complete by the end of last year.

Other projects are PPC in Bulawayo, and Gwanda, Matabeleland Province, with a capacity of 30 megawatts for own consumption; Guruve Solar Plant in Guruve, Mashonaland Central Province (five megawatts), Harava Solar Plant in Seke, Mashonaland East Province (20 megawatts, and six megawatts has been installed), and Power Ventures in Victoria Falls (25 megawatts).

The Richaw Solar Plant in Gwanda has a capacity of five megawatts, 2,5 megawatts of which have been installed, while the 100-megawatt Munyati Solar Power Plant will be developed as a public-private partnership venture.

Off-grid solar projects

The Ministry of Energy and Power Development, through Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has developed more than 420 mini-grids distributed around the country at Government schools and clinics.

REA has finished constructing a 59KW mini-grid solar project at Bemba in Tsholotsho District, Matabeleland North Province. Plans are afoot to replicate this across the country’s eight rural provinces.

The private sector has also been developing off-grid solar projects in rural areas. One of the firms, Zoneful Energy Pvt Ltd, has installed more than 50 000 solar home systems through a pay-as-you-go scheme. Another company is also piloting the pay-as-you-go scheme in Gwanda District, Matabeleland South Province.

Mini-hydropower generation

Nine mini-hydropower plants have been constructed since 2010 in Manicaland Province. Their individual capacities range from 300 kilowatts to 15 megawatts, giving a total installed capacity of slightly over 31 megawatts. Three mini-hydropower plants, namely Tugwi-Mukosi (15 megawatts), Great Zimbabwe (five megawatts) and Tsanga A (2,71 megawatts), are under construction as IPPs. Gwayi-Shangani Power Plant (10 megawatts) is in the planning stage.

Electricity access

Zimbabwe has an electricity access rate of about 50 percent. In line with the Government policy of ensuring that no place is left behind, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, through REA, continues to expand rural access to electricity to promote rural development, provision of better education and healthcare services.

Through this programme, more than 9 900 rural institutions, including primary and secondary schools, rural healthcare centres, Government extension offices, business centres, villages and chiefs’ homesteads, have been connected to the electricity grid, which has transformed livelihoods in many communities.

The Rural Electrification Fund (REF) collects most of its funds from the six percent Rural Electrification Levy on electricity bills.

Energy efficiency initiatives

The Government has put in place energy efficiency mechanisms, which include the migration from post-paid to pre-paid meters. The initiative has been key in improving energy efficiency at household level.

More than 650 000 meters have been installed in the past five years.

Also, mandatory solar water heating regulations, introduced in 2018, compel households to install efficient solar geysers in place of inefficient electric geysers; and use of energy savers. A statutory instrument of 2017 has ensured that energy efficient light bulbs are used in households and in the commercial sector.

Clean cooking

Over and above, the Second Republic has been encouraging clean cooking through use of biogas technology and efficient cookstoves.

Biogas technology

The Government has been promoting biogas technology via two programmes.  These are the Institutional and Domestic programmes.

Under the Institutional Biogas Programme more than 100 biogas digesters, ranging from 25m³ to 200m³ in size, have been constructed at institutions, such as boarding schools, prisons, hospitals and farms.

The gas is used for cooking

On the other hand, the Domestic Biogas Programme saw more than 500 biogas digesters of sizes ranging from 6m³ to 20m³ being constructed at rural homesteads to provide a clean and sustainable cooking alternative for women and girls.

Also, the Ministry of Energy and Power Development and the Rural Electrification Fund are involved in capacity building, training local builders (masons) countrywide on how to construct biogas digesters, with two training sessions having been conducted between May and June 2022.

In Mbire District, Mashonaland Central Province, 22 builders were trained, and a 6m³ digester was constructed.  At least 20 builders were also trained in Matobo District, Matabeleland South Province, and a 13m³ digester was constructed. Trained builders are expected to privately construct digesters nationwide for a fee, or contracted by some private companies.

Efficient cookstoves

The Government is promoting the use of efficient sources of energy, like clean cookstoves, solar cookers and biogas-based cookers for cooking. To support the initiative, over 132 000 tsotso stoves have been distributed in partnership with private players in Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Manicaland, and Matabeleland North provinces. The target was to reach 250 000 households by the end of 2022.

Wind energy projects

The Ministry of Energy and Power Development is working with African Development Bank (AfDB) in carrying out wind speed measurements for five sites identified by IRENA through satellite studies in 2014.

This exercise, which began in 2022, is anticipated to run up to 2025.

Furthermore, there are two other sites, not included in the five sites above, which were developed by Power China Engineering (Kunming) and Tatanga Energy.

These two sites have shown potential for wind energy power generation, with a capacity factor greater than 40 percent. Moreover, there are other large-scale power initiatives that the Government has embarked on, such as the Batoka Hydroelectric Power Project, aimed at expanding power generation in the long-term.

Information provided by the Ministry of Energy and Power Development