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The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a US$14.54 million financing package to support the Garneton North 20-megawatt solar project in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province, marking a major step in the country’s renewable energy drive and efforts to close its electricity deficit.
When operational, the project will provide 82,000 people with clean, reliable electricity and eliminate an estimated 58,740 tons of CO₂ emissions annually.
Wale Shonibare, AfDB’s Director of Energy Financial Solutions, Policy, and Regulation, confirmed the development in a statement issued on Sunday.
The approval — comprising $7.27 million from AfDB’s own resources and matching concessional financing from a Development Finance Institution — reflects what the Bank described as “a bold commitment to closing Zambia’s energy gap while advancing the Mission 300 goal of providing 300 million Africans with electricity access by 2030.”
Shonibare noted that Zambia was among the first countries to launch national energy compacts under Mission 300 in January 2025.
He said the $24.5 million project would design, construct, operate, and maintain the 20-megawatt solar plant, which will be connected to the national grid through a 10-kilometre, 33kV power line.
Under a 25-year take-or-pay Power Purchase Agreement, ZESCO Limited will offtake all electricity generated from the plant.
“The project marks a key milestone in Zambia’s efforts to restore confidence in its power sector, attract private sector investment, and drive progress toward closing the energy gap and achieving Mission 300 goals,” Shonibare said.
He added that the Garneton North 20MW Solar Project is one of six projects selected by the Zambian government under the Global Energy Transfer Feed-in Tariffs (GETFiT) programme, aimed at unlocking private-sector investment in small- and medium-scale renewable independent power projects.
The project will create 90 jobs during construction — including five for women and 50 for youth — and 10 during operations, with two women and six youth among them.
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“The project will add critical capacity to Zambia’s strained power grid, reducing blackouts and improving energy security,” Shonibare said.
He explained that the GETFiT programme would facilitate the timely procurement of 120MW of renewable capacity, diversify Zambia’s power mix, and demonstrate that the country’s power sector is once again bankable for private investment.
“Through the successful implementation of this project and the broader programme, Zambia will demonstrate its strong commitment to diversifying its energy mix away from hydropower and enhancing energy security,” said Jing Li, Division Manager for Energy Financial Solutions at AfDB.
Li said the project would help reduce the frequency and severity of power outages, ensure a more reliable electricity supply, and contribute to maintaining cost-reflective tariffs for consumers.
The Garneton North 20MW Solar Project aligns with AfDB’s Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033) and its New Deal on Energy for Africa, promoting a low-carbon development path and universal electricity access through clean energy. It also supports the Bank’s climate change, gender, youth employment, and resilience strategies, along with private-sector-led renewable energy development under Mission 300.
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