The Victoria Falls Solar Power Station is a 100 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 under construction 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 ''Kibo Energy'', an
independent power producer (IPP), based in Dublin, Ireland. The project was originally owned by ''Broomfield International'', another IPP, who began its development. In March 2022, Kibo Energy acquired the assets and liabilities of Victoria Falls Solar Power Station, for consideration of ₤10 million (US$13 million). The power station is being developed in phases of 25 MW each. The first 5 megawatts of the first phase is expected online in April 2022. A ten-year
power purchase agreement has been signed between the owner/developer and the off-taker,
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).
Location
The power station is located in the city of
Victoria Falls
Victoria Falls ( Lozi: ''Mosi-oa-Tunya'', "The Smoke That Thunders"; Tonga: ''Shungu Namutitima'', "Boiling Water") is a waterfall on the Zambezi River in southern Africa, which provides habitat for several unique species of plants and animal ...
, in
Hwange District in
Matabeleland North Province.
This location is adjacent to the
Victoria Water Falls, approximately west of
Harare
Harare (; formerly Salisbury ) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. The city proper has an area of 940 km2 (371 mi2) and a population of 2.12 million in the 2012 census and an estimated 3.12 million in its metropolitan ...
, the capital and largest city in of Zimbabwe.
Overview
Broomfield International was awarded the concession to build this 100 megawatt solar firm. They obtained all the licenses and authorizations, including a PPA with ZESA. In March 2022, with 5 megawatts installed, Broomfield sold their interests in this power station to Kibo Energy, based in Ireland or a consideration of ₤10 million (US$13 million) .
The power station will be built in four phases, with capacity of 25 MW, each. The first 5 megawatts of the first phase are expected to come online in April 2022, with the remaining 20 megawatts expected in December 2022. The next phases are expected to be built in subsequent years.
The power station's output is expected to be sold directly to the ''Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company'' (ZETDC) for integration into the national grid, under a long-term PPA.
Other considerations
Victoria Falls Solar Power Station is located within of the ''Hwange–Victoria Falls High Voltage Power Line''. The energy from this solar farm will be directed to that power line, where it will enter the Zimbabwean national electricity grid.
See also
*
List of power stations in Zimbabwe
The following page lists all power stations in Zimbabwe.
Coal
Hydroelectric
Proposed hydro power stations
Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station
Solar
See also
* Energy in Zimbabwe
* List of power stations in Africa
* List of la ...
References
External links
Game Changer For Victoria Falls Energy SectorAs of 17 May 2021.
{{Authority control
Solar power stations in Zimbabwe
Hwange District
Matabeleland North Province