Zambia issues RfP for 100 MW of solar
Zambia’s Ministry of Energy and the GET FiT Zambia Secretariat have issued a Request for Proposal (RfS) for the deployment of 100 MW of solar PV capacity
The publication of the RfP follows the Request for Qualification phase, which was concluded in June and saw the shortlisting of 10 developers: Italy’s Building Energy and Enel’s unit Enel Green Power; France’s energy groups Engie and EDF; Kenya-based Globeleq Africa Holdings, in consortium with South African company, Aurora Power Solutions; Zambian incorporated power transmission, generation and distribution company, Copperbelt Energy Corporation Plc (CEC), in partnership with France-based renewable energy developer, InnoVent SAS; South African wind and solar developer, Mulilo Group Holdings (PTY) LTD; UAE-based Phanes Group; Norwegian solar company, Scatec Solar ASA; and U.S. CSP and PV project developer, SolarReserve Development Co.
In July and August, the Zambian government and GET FiT Zambia assessed the grid capacity of local state-owned power utility, ZESCO at the sites proposed for the projects. The whole tender process is expected to be finalized in early 2019, GET FiT Zambia said in a statement released.
Selected developers will be granted a 25-year PPA by ZESCO. The tender is being held under the framework of the Zambian REFiT Strategy, an initiative developed with the support of German development bank, KFW.
The REFiT program aims to tender up to 100 MW of PV as a first step. Overall, it envisages the deployment of 200 MW small- and medium-scale renewable energy projects, up to a maximum size of 20 MW. Eligible renewables include solar PV, hydro, geothermal, biomass, waste energy and wind power.
The Department of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the African Development Bank issued an expression of interest to arrange debt financing for the five 20 MW IPP solar projects, which the local government is hoping to build through the tender announced in early August.
The Zambian government is aiming to deploy 500 MW of solar PV over the next few years, in order to further reduce the country’s chronic power shortages.
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