Zambia partners with Chinese firms to build nationwide solar power plants

LUSAKA, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government on Tuesday signed contracts with a consortium of five Chinese firms for the design, supply, and installation of two-megawatt solar photovoltaic power plants in each of the country's 156 constituencies.

The contracts were signed during a ceremony in Lusaka, the country's capital, under the Presidential Constituency Energy Initiative, a flagship program aimed at expanding Zambia's electricity generation capacity from the current 3,500 megawatts to 10,000 megawatts by 2030.

Nicholas Phiri, permanent secretary for technical services in the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, said the program, approved by the cabinet in November last year, spearheads a nationwide renewable energy rollout aimed at eradicating structural power deficits and fostering localized wealth creation.

"The program is directly aligned with Zambia's broader macro-economic and developmental goals. By integrating these solar assets into the national grid, the initiative supports the long-term target of expanding Zambia's power generation capacity," he said.

The initiative will stimulate local economic growth, create jobs and strengthen service delivery, he said, adding that 70 new constituencies, which were created this year, will also be added to the project. Enditem