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Energy enthusiast, Johnstone Chikwanda, has said the £3 billion offered by the United Kingdom (UK) towards energy transition and mining sector would help Zambia attain the Sustainable Development Goals Number (SDG) 7.
On Thursday, August 3, Britain agreed deals with Zambia on clean energy and critical minerals as Foreign Minister, James Cleverly, ended a four-day visit to Africa to deepen ties.
The Foreign Ministry said Cleverly would agree a UK-Zambia Green Growth Compact, aimed at generating £2.5 billion of British private sector investment in Zambia’s mining, minerals and renewable energy sectors alongside £500 million of government-backed investments.
Chikwanda told Zambia Monitor that the development will help Zambia to make big progress towards the attainment of United Nations SDG number 7 which called for universal access to clean, affordable and sustainable energy for all by 2030.
He said the deal which was a very big leap would further support Zambia’s quest for industrialisation, energy security both local and in the region.
“Pursuing different pathways to energy sources will significantly assist the country’s energy portfolio which is still skewed towards Hydro Power, a situation which makes us vulnerable due to frequent challenges regarding rainfall pattern,” Chikwanda said.
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He said the UK government had done a commendable job for coming to Zambia’s rescue and congratulated government for working hard in restructuring the energy sector.
Chikwanda noted that this had been done through tariff reforms which have started to not only attract unprecedented investment but actualization as well.
“Additionally, the recent tariff adjustments which were aimed at making the energy sector more viable have started to bear dividends,” he said.
Chikwanda believed government had put the country on the correct drive way by attracting other forms of energy as seen by the unprecedented investment pledges which have now reached over US$6 billion.
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