By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
ZAMBIA and other developing countries’ solar investment will significantly contribute to global clean energy, a comprehensive new study from Bloomberg (BNEF) dubbed Climates scope 2018 states.
Key findings for Zambia indicates that the country has successfully launched the 100 megawatts Solar PV tender Request for Proposal as part of the GET FiT programme.
Round two will involve, the 100 MW small hydro tender, pre-qualification stage is expected to be released in this quarter and that Zesco plans on implementing a cost-reflective tariff increase of 75 per cent by the end of 2018, as a result of a 600 MW electricity shortage in 2015/16 due to poor rainfall.
The report indicates that Zambia’s electrification rate is 67 per cent in urban areas and four per cent in rural areas, with overall national electrification nearing 31 per cent.
Zambia’s hydro generation potential is estimated at more than 6,000 MW, with several existing large hydro facilities currently being upgraded and 3,400 MW in the planning phase.
It observes that at global level, surging electricity demand, sinking technology costs, and innovative policy-making have allowed developing nations to seize the mantle of global clean energy leadership from wealthier countries.
Between them, emerging market nations surveyed by BNEF’s annual Climatescope project accounted for the majorities of new clean energy capacity added and new funds deployed, globally in 2017.
These countries are also playing the leading role in driving down clean energy costs, so that energy access can be expanded without boosting carbon emissions.
In 2017, developing nations added 114 Giga watts (GW) of zero-carbon generating capacity of all types, with 94GW of wind and solar generating capacity alone – both all-time records.