ZESCO begins construction of 20MW solar plant in Lusaka to serve Mtendere, Roma, others

ZESCO Limited, through its subsidiary Kiyona Energy Limited, has reportedly commenced the construction of a 20-megawatt Solar Photovoltaic (PV) project in Lusaka’s Natural Resources Development College (NRDC) area.

According to a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, the project forms part of President Hakainde Hichilema’s ambition to see Zambia attain 1,000MW of solar-generated electricity.

It said its intention, through the subsidiary, was to ease citizens’ over-reliance on hydroelectricity, which has proven increasingly risky as the country continues to experience frequent droughts, with the most recent in 2024 resulting in the worst drought-induced electricity deficit.

“This solar surge, therefore, is part of the government’s broader agenda to diversify the energy mix and address the current energy deficit,” reads the statement.

The NRDC Solar Power Plant will sit on 20 hectares of land provided to ZESCO by the Ministry of Agriculture through the Natural Resources Development College.

The power utility said the 20MW solar plant is scheduled for completion by February 2026 and will primarily serve communities including Mtendere, Kalikiliki, Roma, Kalingalinga, Kanyama and surrounding areas.

“Further to this endeavour, Kiyona is busy in initiatives such as Greening Cities, Greening Markets and Greening Homes through its innovative Electricity-as-a-Service offering,” it said.

It explained that under this initiative, Kiyona is installing solar equipment in homes at no upfront cost, with homeowners only required to continue paying their normal electricity bills.

The company said excess electricity generated from each home solar system would be fed into the national grid to serve other customers.

“The Greening Homes initiative, which has already taken flight in Lusaka’s Silverest and ZAF areas, is targeting a minimum of 5MW of solar power at each location,” the company said.

In Silverest, Kiyona expects to generate 3MW from 600 homes in the community, with surrounding households also set to benefit.

Kiyona will further install solar systems on 5,000 houses in Kwamwena before expanding to Salama Park and Woodlands, while also targeting key strategic institutions.

“The National Assembly is among the institutions targeted to act as an electricity generating station, with 1MW of electricity expected to be realised,” the company said.

It stated that a solar plant had already been installed at the National Assembly with sufficient capacity to feed surrounding areas.

ZESCO noted that while the National Assembly consumes about 300 kilowatts of electricity, Kiyona’s intention is for the excess power to be supplied to nearby residential communities.

“Consequently, some houses in Olympia will be fed from Parliament and by so doing, reducing transmission losses,” reads the statement.

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