The Shangani Solar Power Station is a proposed 25 megawatts

solar power Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic e ...

plant in

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

. The project is under development by a Zimbabwean independent power producer (IPP), called ''Shangani Renewable Energy''. It is expected that when this power station begins commercial operations, the energy generated here will be sold to the

Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, (ZESA) whose official name is ZESA Holdings (Private) Limited, is a state-owned company whose task is to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity in Zimbabwe. It has organized this task by delegatio ...

(ZESA), for integration into the national grid.

Location

The power station is located in the locality of Ensangu Estate, in Shangani,

Insiza District Insiza District is one of the seven districts located in the province of Matabeleland South of Zimbabwe. It is a rural area. Insiza District lies to the South East of Bulawayo in Zimbabwe and borders Gwanda District to the South, Zvishavane Dist ...

, in Matabeleland South Province. Shangani is located approximately , east of Insiza, the location of the district headquarters. This is about northeast of Bulawayo, the nearest large city.

Overview

As of 2014, Zimbabwe's electricity needs amounted to 2,200 megawatts. Existing installed hydropower and coal-fired thermal stations at that time were only able to supply 75 percent of that need. In order to mitigate prolonged and recalcitrant power blackouts, solar and wind sources of energy are the country's most reliable alternatives. The owner/developer plans to install a ground-mounted solar panel power station with generation capacity of 25 megawatts. A new 11kV evacuation line will be constructed as part of this project. The new transmission line will carry the power to the existing 132kV/11kV electric substation at Shangani, about from the solar farm, where the energy will enter the national grid.

Developers

The solar park is under development by a Zimbabwean IPP, Shangani Renewable Energy Private Limited, who also own the power station. When completed the same company is expected to operate and maintain the renewable energy infrastructure project.

Construction costs

The cost of construction for this solar farm is quoted at approximately US$45.2 million.

References

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