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Government has commissioned and connected a €8 million 220kW Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Plant in Kazungula District, Southern Province, to the national grid under the Net Metering framework.
The solar plant would help mitigate load management challenges caused by drought, ensuring a more reliable water supply for the residents of Kazungula.
This project is being funded by the government with support from the Federal Republic of Germany, said the Water Development and Sanitation Minister, Collins Nzovu.
In a statement issued on Friday in Lusaka, Nzovu explained that the project included a water intake, a treatment plant, metering infrastructure, and the PV Solar Plant.
In line with the Ministry’s vision, he explained, this project promoted the use of alternative power sources, reducing dependence on traditional energy sources.
“Southern Water and Sanitation Company Limited, has become the first water utility company in Zambia to harness solar energy at this scale to improve water supply and sell excess energy to ZESCO under a scheme called net metering.
“Net Metering is a revolutionary policy introduced by Government that enables private electricity generators, like Southern Water and Sanitation Company, to sell excess energy back to the grid,” he said, highlighting the benefits of this initiative.
These included reduced energy costs, saying generating its own clean energy would enable the water utility to significantly cut down on energy costs, which currently account for 40 percent of operational expenses.
The Minister also said other benefits included increased energy independence, explaining that through Net Metering, the utility would reduce reliance on the national grid, ensuring a more stable and reliable energy supply for its operations.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to our Cooperating Partners, KfW and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), for supporting the Kazungula Water Supply and Basic Sanitation Project.
“As a Ministry, we remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting sustainable water management solutions. This initiative has the potential to make water utility companies more sustainable, and we urge more utilities to prioritize renewable energy solutions in the design of water and sanitation projects,” Nzovu said.
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