Sunway City and GPC Energy are set to develop a 100 megawatt (MW) direct current (DC) solar facility with a 90MW alternating current (AC) capacity at Ventersburg Estate in Harare.
The companies have announced that the project is expected to supply crucial energy resources while also creating job opportunities for Zimbabweans. They plan to involve local and regional stakeholders extensively in the procurement and construction phases, aiming to source materials and labor from nearby communities as much as possible.
The generated electricity will be sold to the state-owned power utility, ZESA Holdings. This investment aims to boost the country’s limited energy production, which has been strained by reduced output at Kariba Power Station due to low water levels from recent droughts. Kariba is Zimbabwe’s second-largest power station by installed capacity after Hwange.
The country is currently experiencing severe electricity shortages, managed through frequent power cuts that disrupt both commercial and residential activities. Last year, the government completed a 600MW expansion at Hwange Power Station to enhance the national power supply, but this has still not met the growing demand. Several state and private sector projects are underway to increase energy output.
In compliance with the Environmental Management Act (Chapter 20:27), Sunway City and GPC Energy have engaged Pluperfect Environmental Consultancy (PEC) to conduct an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the solar park.
The project site is located geographically between Zimre Park suburb to the north, Epworth Township to the south, Ruwa town to the east, and the Msasa industrial area to the west.
In addition, Tongaat Hulett is looking to install 11.5MW of reliable solar power to reduce dependence on the national grid for its operations. They plan to use a third-party build, operate, and maintain model at their sugar operations.
Tongaat Hulett is inviting tenders from experienced companies for solar power plant installations at the Triangle (5MW) and Hippo Valley (5MW) sugar mills, Mwenezana Estate (1.5MW), and a hybrid project combining grid-tied and off-grid systems. Bidders must submit comprehensive and competitive proposals for each project or combinations thereof.
These developments highlight the private sector’s commitment to complementing the national utility and advancing clean energy initiatives. In 2022, Puma Energy Zimbabwe reported having 203 solar power systems operational and aimed to install 200 solar facilities globally by year-end, with a total peak capacity of 6.6MW.
Three years ago, Schweppes Zimbabwe set up a 500kW ground-mounted solar plant to enhance production at its Beitbridge juice plant. More recently, gold miner Caledonia installed a 12.2 MW solar plant at Blanket Mine, which has been meeting about a quarter of the mine’s daily electricity needs since November 2022.
In 2019, Econet Wireless, Zimbabwe’s largest mobile operator, launched a $466kW solar power plant at its Willowvale industrial complex as part of its move towards sustainable energy.
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