Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) related to the 30-MW Vungu solar farm, a project that is part of a solar power procurement pilot.
The project development was led by UK-based Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), through its project development solution InfraCo, alongside project founder Energywise Equipment (Pvt) Ltd and Impala Power Company Ltd.
The Vungu solar farm, which will produce enough electricity to power 76,000 homes, is the pilot project under the Government Project Support Agreement (GPSA) solar IPP programme. It is also set to be among Zimbabwe’s first internationally project-financed solar independent power producers (IPPs) selling to ZETDC.
“The government of Zimbabwe selected Vungu as its preferred bidder through a pilot initiative by which it hoped to negotiate a set of bankable, standardised documents — including the PPA signed here today — which can be used by other solar projects in the future, attracting development and private sector investment to accelerate the country’s energy transition, and achieve its ambitious electrification targets,” said Benson Munyaradzi, chief director of the Ministry of Energy and Power Development (MOEPD).
The PPA was signed at a reception held today at the residence of the British ambassador to Zimbabwe.
“By agreeing a pricing structure, this project is also helping to set a template for more investors to enter Zimbabwe’s renewable energy market, creating jobs and building a greener future for all. It is a strong reflection of our countries’ shared commitment to sustainable growth,” said Ambassador Pete Vowles.
Source: Renewables Now
