SOWELL CHIKWARI
Stakeholders in the energy and power generation sector have called for the establishment of a resource mobilisation mechanism to harness funds for enhancing generation through strengthening renewable energy uptake and revitalising the already existing energy infrastructure countrywide.
The envisaged domestic fund for renewable energy infrastructure development and power generation would spearhead the development of sub-stations, solar-powered and mini-hydro plants, carbon-negative biofuels, and other essentials needed for the successful implementation of a solid renewable energy matrix.
Energy policy expert and transmission lines veteran engineer, Edzai Kachirekwa, said that adopting an integrated energy resource plan is critical for revitalising the moribund energy sector in order to steer Zimbabwe on a positive trajectory in terms of power generation and provision which capacitates industry and mining activities in a nation where a significant proportion of the populace rely on farming and mining activities to eke out a living.
“In pursuit of this noble objective, government is encouraged to institute a multi-stakeholder consultation forum and a steering committee for the adoption of a mandatory domestic energy fund, review the regulatory framework to entice investors, offer favourable tax incentives and rebates as well as incentivising local entrepreneurs to stimulate growth in the renewable energy sector. The public-funded initiative should be administered in a transparent manner to boost public and investor confidence.”
The inaugural president of the newly-founded Afro Eurasia Energy Centre — a confederation of organisations and individuals committed to improving access to clean, affordable and reliable energy in Africa as a way to alleviate poverty and create sustainable employment — also contends that “for the country to effectively address the acute power challenges, we have to adopt a more robust approach where independent players become more actively involved in renewable energy”.
The independent players, he said, will complement the government efforts in power generation.
“Implementing the devolution system in line with the Constitution will also accelerate the process by enabling each and every metropolis to develop its own energy infrastructure to cater for its needs, relieving the burden from central government”, Kachirekwa added.
Zimbabwe’s energy sector has been paralysed due to a combination of factors which include corruption, obsolete power generation equipment, lack of capital investment, a lacklustre approach to exploring renewable energy options such as wind and solar which has seen independent Power Producers (IPPs) struggling to generate surplus power to feed into the national grid as well as policy constraints.
IPPs, however, urged the relevant authorities to walk the talk on enhancing the renewables threshold in the national energy matrix to mitigate climate change through minimising greenhouse emissions, a crucial component in achieving the government’s ambitious target of a 33 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
According to the Zimbabwean government’s National Development Strategy 1 economic blueprint (2021-2025), the country targets to substantially improve power generation from an installed capacity of 2317MW to 3467MW by 2025, alleviating all electricity imports.
The National Renewable Energy Policy also aims to achieve a target of 1100MW by 2025 while also recommending the designation of National Project Status on all the renewable energy projects.
