Construction for Zambia’s 200MW Serenje solar plant to start in September

US-based renewable energy developer, Ultra Green Corporation, has announced that it will start construction of the 200MW solar plant in the Serenje district in Zambia around September this year. The facility will be constructed at an estimated cost of US$336 million, said Emmanuel Mwizerwa, the Country Manager for Ultra Green Corporation in Zambia.

“The construction of the solar plant will cost US$216 million and US$120 million will go towards transmission lines expenses,” Mr Mwizerwa said.

The solar energy plant will supply power to Zambia’s state electricity utility,  Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) Limited, under a long term power purchase agreement that the developer hopes will be signed by September. 

The facility will occupy 448 hectares of land at Kosamu village, in Chief Kabamba’s area in Serenje. The solar energy plant will feed into the national grid at Pensulo substation in the Serenje district.

Zambia has 2,800 MW of installed electricity generation capacity, of which 85% is hydro based. The Serenje solar photovoltaic plant will help Zambia achieve its objectives to diversify its electricity mix. The country has significant renewable energy resources, including hydro, biomass, solar, wind and geothermal energy that can be exploited for both on-grid and off-grid systems.

Zambia has a national electrification rate of 31% with 67% of the urban and 4% of the rural population having access to power. The country targets to achieve 91% urban electrification and 51% rural electrification by 2031. 

The country is also implementing a number of rural electrification initiatives with international partners, development finance institutions and donors/humanitarian organisations including U.S’s Power Africa initiative and the European Union (EU)’s European Development Fund (EDF) etc.