By CHIMANGENI BANDA –
IN probably the country’s worst drought in living memory, Zambia’s hydropower capacity has been wiped out due to climate change, throwing the country into an inevitable energy crisis.
Reduced water levels, to an all-time low, in the Kariba Da, has seen Zambia’s average electricity supply of about 2,200 megawatts for domestic and industrial usage dwindle to just over 1,000 megawatts.
Zambia’s traditional energy sources have mainly been hydropower generated from Kariba and ItezhiTezhi power stations, among others, with mixes of thermal power solutions from Maamba and emerging solar energy and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) solutions.
The National Power Utility Company, ZESCO has since the early part of 2024, been carrying out daily load shedding and management of electricity, recently increased to 20 hours per day, with some members of the public reporting incidences of more than 48 hours of power in their communities.
The development has affected social economic activities slowing down activities and targets in the mining sector, construction, manufacturing, agriculture among others as well as provision of education and health care services, as well as small businesses that sustain household economies.
Government has since put in place several intervention measures to minimize the impact of the power deficit, such as the suspension of duty on diesel generators and solar energy solutions, while pursuing promotion of other renewable energy sources.
On the sidelines of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit in Beijing China, held from September 4 to 6, 2024, President Hakainde Hichilema engaged various development collaborators to help Zambia address its crippling energy crisis.
On September 2, 2024, President Hichilema, engaged management of Chinese firm, TBEA, in Urumqi, west of Beijing, and further travelled to Xian City, in Shaanxi Province, over a 1,000 kilometres from the Chinese capital, and engaged Longi Green Energy Technology Company, the world’s leader in global solutions to assist Zambia in her pursuit of immediate and long term solutions to the country’s energy crisis.
“We are here on a mission and we are engaging. For example, TBEA (Tebian Electric Apparatus); a Chinese firm), we signed an MoU, to work together, to invest together in the energy sector; generation, transmission, including sub stations; here me out, micro, small, medium, large size. We have an agenda to fundamentally change our energy and particular electricity mix, because we were largely dependent on over 85 percent of our energy from hydro power, “ said President Hichilema.
“Our country has seen the worst drought in living memory, because we are dependent on hydro power for most of our energy needs, over 85 percent. We have had most of our generating capacity wiped out, creating an energy insecurity and insecurity to our economic activity” explained President Hichilema to Longi Green Energy management officials.
“We believe that partnering with China, partnering with firms like you, we can reduce our dependence on hydro power, and bring in solar energy, which you are experts on, and that’s why we are here” said President Hichilema, who was flanked by Energy Minister Makozo Chikote.
President Hichilema shared his vision of changing Zambia’s energy mix that will address and meet energy needs at micro, small, medium and large grid arrangements.
“Your leadership has made changes in the energy sector; first, policy, legal, regulatory, open access, independent producers, independent traders, tariff blending, so..that’s what we have addressed in the sector”
Mr Hichilema said he wants Zambians to have rooftop mini solar units to produce electricity for individual household consumption, with excess being sold to a community grid and ultimately into the national grid.
The president believes that its high time institutions such as hospitals and learning centres had stand-alone solar energy infrastructure to supply their electricity needs, in order to continuously provide services uninterrupted from hydropower inadequacies.
“Even you at home, you should consider putting up roof top solar, and if you consume 30 kilowatts per month, you can put roof top solar at your house and generate 50-kilowatts, 20 kilowatts you can sell to the grid, and someone else can consume that power,” said Mr Hichilema.
He assured Longi Green that his administration had already created conditions necessary to support the energy transition.
Longi Green Energy Technology Company Chief Executive Officer Zhenguo Li says his firm was well positioned to assist and facilitate Zambia’s energy transition.
“Zambia has been a long-standing cooperating partner of China, and we are honoured to provide our cutting-edge technology for solar energy and other services…will do our best to help Zambia” said Mr Li.
Longi Green Energy Technology Head of Operations for Africa and Asia James Jin observes that Solar Energy is projected to be the main source of energy across the globe in the next few years.
He stressed that because of the projection of green energy becoming the major source of power across the globe, Longi Green has continued to invest in research and innovation and last year spent U$1 billion in solar energy solutions.
Mr Jin shared that due to continuous investment in research, Longi Green Energy now provides solar energy solutions to over 800 million in 150 countries across the globe.
He says Zambia is endowed with an abundance of natural resources and social economic factors that will ensure Zambia smoothly transitions in the energy mix, and become the flagship of Longi Green Energy’s Africa strategy.
“Zambia has a flat land, and the most important thing that many countries where we operate don’t have is an abundance of sunlight” grinned the Longi Green Energy Executive.
“Do you really think HH will come out here for a week, for nothing, to leisure around? No, absolutely.”
From China, Mr Hichilema struck agreements for power solutions of continued development of hydropower capacity in the northern circuit and establishment of solar infrastructure across the country to meet specific individual and collective needs of consumers at individual, community, institutional and national level.
“Yes, we believe we are on our way to solving our energy problems, and this is only the beginning” Mr Hichilema said.
While Zambians are familiar with rooftop solar geysers; rooftop solar units may just be the next trend. – ZANIS