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The Engineering Institution of Zambia (EIZ) has unveiled plans to establish a 30-megawatt (MW) solar-biogas hybrid power plant at Mwembeshi Correctional Services, marking a significant step in renewable energy innovation.
The project, to be executed through EIZ Investments Holdings Plc, was announced during a courtesy call to the Zambia Correctional Service.
This is according to a statement issued in Lusaka on Sunday.
The statement indicated that discussions focused on infrastructure development, capacity building, and the role of engineering in advancing national priorities.
It further indicated that the power plant will be developed in partnership with Kiyona Energy, a subsidiary of ZESCO Limited, leveraging the national utility’s expertise and infrastructure to ensure successful implementation and integration into the national grid.
Mwembeshi Correctional Services will serve as the host partner, providing land for both the solar PV and biogas installations, as well as supplying biomass from the prison’s agricultural and institutional waste.
The facility will generate 20MW from solar power and 10MW from biogas, with battery storage for reliability. Beyond electricity, the biogas system will also produce liquid fertilizer to boost farm productivity at the prison, along with cooking gas for use within the facility or by nearby communities.
Commissioner of Corrections and Extension Services, Namataa Mayumbela, said such partnerships could enhance rehabilitation programmes, improve service delivery, and transform correctional facilities into more self-sustaining institutions.
EIZ Properties Finance Committee Chairperson, Clement Silavwe, representing the EIZ president, said the initiative would make Mwembeshi Prison self-sustaining, environmentally conscious, and economically productive.
“By linking renewable energy to agriculture, skills training, and rehabilitation, the Mwembeshi project illustrates how engineering can drive both development and social transformation,” he said.
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