Govt set to commission first phase of Mabumba 50MW solar plant, claims 20,000 households to benefit from project

Government has announced that it would commission the first phase of the Mabumba 50-megawatt Solar Power Plant in Mansa District, Luapula Province, on Christmas Day.

The initial phase will see 14 megawatts evacuated into the national grid, easing power deficits in the province and benefiting more than 20,000 households.

Speaking during a tour of the project site in Mansa, Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Tobias Michelo, said the project was central to government’s energy diversification strategy, aimed at reducing reliance on climate-vulnerable hydro power following last year’s drought.

Michelo noted in a statement issued in Lusaka Friday that Zambia’s installed electricity generation capacity stood at about 3,900 megawatts, with approximately 85 percent coming from hydro sources, prompting a policy shift towards solar energy.

He said government had set a Presidential target of adding 1,000 megawatts of solar power to the national grid.

“The Mansa solar project not only boosts installed capacity but has also created local economic benefits, employing up to 250 local people at peak construction,” Michelo said.

ZESCO Senior Area Manager for Luapula Province, Eustace Simuchindo, said the province’s electricity demand stood at about 28 megawatts and that the full 50-megawatt plant would significantly stabilise supply once fully commissioned.

Simuchindo confirmed that 14 megawatts would be evacuated by December 25, marking the first phase of the project.

Luapula Province Acting Permanent Secretary, Evans Sikabbuba, said the province would be the primary beneficiary of the power generated, with only surplus electricity exported to other areas after local demand had been met.

“The Mabumba Solar Power Plant is part of Government’s wider strategy to curb load shedding, strengthen energy security and accelerate the transition to renewable energy,” Sikabbuba said.

Meanwhile, CMEC Assistant Site Manager, Lewis Liu, said contractors were working round the clock to ensure the first 14 megawatts were successfully evacuated by December 25, 2025, adding that the project had reached advanced stages of completion.

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