Triangle Solar System (TSS), a local consortium is scheduled to build a 90 MW solar power plant in Chiredzi, Masvingo province for US$88.1 million.
The project is expected to give Chiredzi residents better access to electricity. The project was recently approved by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera).
Speaking on the project, Paradzai Chakona, the director of TSS said:
Based on an annual global irradiation of 1,760 Kw / h per m2, a solar photovoltaic system with a capacity of 45 MW should produce approximately 73,896 MWh of electricity annually, of which 66,500 MWh will be sold to the national grid.
The project comes when the country has a huge shortage of electricity which saw many suburbs in the country going for about 18 hours without power at the peak of the crisis.
The electrical installation will be located approximately 12 km west of the TSS headquarters and is premised at reducing electricity import bills for Chiredzi in particular and Zimbabwe, in general.
Zimbabwe’s major electricity generators, Kariba Hydroelectric Power Station and Hwange Thermal Power Station have been generating less than required power forcing ZESA, the local power utility to import from South Africa’s ESKOM and Mozambique’s Hydro Cahora Bassa.
More: ZBC News