French developer and independent power producer Neoen has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement for a 54 MW PV project with ZESCO, Zambia’s national power utility.
The plant will sell its power output to Zesco at a price of $0.0602 per KWh.
The tariff is non-indexed and represents the equivalent of $0.47 per KWh over contract life.
In a statement, the company confirmed that the signing of the PPA took place in early March.
The securing of the contract marks a big step in the development of the project, which if completed will be Zambia’s largest solar plant, and the first project implemented in the frame of the Scaling Solar program, developed by the World Bank Group (IFC).
Neoen will develop the plant in partnership with U.S. solar manufacturer First Solar, which will provide approximately 450,000 modules for the project, and Zambian public investment fund Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), which will retain a 20% stake in the installation.
The plant will be located in the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone and will be developed under Zambia’s utility-scale Independent Power Producers (IPP) scheme.
The $60 million project was selected by the World Bank in an auction held in June 2014.
The tender attracted 48 solar power developers, seven of which submitted final proposals.
The winners of the first auction were First Solar, Neoen, and Enel Green Power, the renewable energy division of Enel.
At the time, the bid of Neoen and First Solar, 6.02 cents per KWh, was a record low for Africa.
In late February, the Zambian government received the greenlight from the World Bank to receive funding and support for the development of 500 MW of new solar PV capacity.
Zambia screwed in public once again. PF government are worse than innocent prostitute who has no options of surviving. Even French non existing company can just rape her over solar energy.
That is very misinformed & unnecessary comment. It reminds me of national referendum days on Bill of Rights when some sections of the political divide fought against the Bill of Rights without understanding that it would have even accorded them & Zambians much more rights against GRZ. Without caring to research about scaling solar a comment is passed out of spite. Find out 1st how much electricity costs & what this project is offering. Understand also that this is a public private partnership project. Just google to find out who Neoen & First Solar are. Then you can come here & comment. Scaling solar is very important project for the Zambia.
@The Chosen, do you remember the cost of SOLAR hammer mills, do you remember how many where presidentially launched? Do still have number of bags to be produced a week? Do you still remember how much a solar produced bag of corn meal will be in March 2017?
How much is it costing today? GOOGLE before you answer me.
Zambia is being raided and raped…no one signs business deals for 25 years….Ridiculous…………………
Please use local electrical engineer youths. Help set them a company and loan them the money/or find some loans as government for the youths who are just roaming the streets. That way money remains in Zambia and lives will be improved.
So do you know why France would not engage a Zambian company? Because they want to promote their own. Let us start at home and later call others. These guys will make a lot of money in 25 years more than 10 times what they invested. If this money went into the families within Zambia, we would see improved lives. That is how these bazungus do it.
How have we been screwed in public once again @Nostradamus?
Just in case you cannot help me understand, you may just as well get some sense/advice from The Chosen One. You may just evolve into a better person than what you currently are! You post on this site plainly out of spite!
What foes
@2…. What does your name mean in Bemba?
Go to Luapula you ask 3 people about Nostradamus, tell will bring you to me and I roast a fish on a brazier in front of you.
Isnt Zesco not making a loss?
That’s actually the second best solar price in the world, next only to the UAE. This is the way forward
That’s probably these empty tins didnt think it have the best interests of the people just signed 25 year agreement!
That’s actually the second best solar price in the world, next only to the UAE. This is the way forward
Well sounds like good stuff. Can’t pretend to have done the maths, but more supply of electricity is a good thing. We’ve had enough of ZESCO blackouts.
WHAT ALL Zambians across the political divide should be doing, is giving PF and it’s MP teams big bumps for being a doing Party. Problems come upon all nations and people, but it’s the diplomatic ability, international relationship building that leads to problem resolution. Other Party’s just moan about things and speak against Zambia internationally, even advising foreign investors not to invest out of spite. Well done to President Lungu. All his international tours abroad have resulted in big investment.
@6 YOU ARE ONE OF THE VERY FEW SENSIBLE PATRIOTIC ZAMBIAN. I CAN’T BELIEVE ABANA BANDOSHI ARE SPITEFUL UP TO NOW FOR THE LOSS OF ELECTIONS OF THEIR OWN UN GLOBAL POPULARITY IN ZAMBIA BUT OVERSEAS AND ONLY IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE. AT LEAST THERE’S 50MW OF POWER COMING IN FROM A REPUTABLE POWER COMPANY THAT IS MOST LIKELY TO EXPAND IN ZAMBIA IN THE NEAR FUTURE. GUY IF YOU LIVE OVERSEAS AND MAYBE YOU HAVE NEVER EVEN VISITED ZAMBIA IN DONKEY AGES, LET THE ZAMBIANS LIVING IN ZAMBIA COMPLAIN ABOUT THE GOVT. NOT YOU !DIOTS WHO DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING IN ZAMBIA. ZAMBIANS WHO ARE IN ZAMBIA ARE MAKING MONEY WITH THE HELP OF THE SAME GRZ AND SO ARE THOSE RELOCATING BACK TO ZAMBIA.
LT you mean US$0.047/KWh instead of $0.47?
HOW DID OUR FAVORITE PARTNERS MISS THIS CONTRACT THE CHINESE..??? I AM SURE THEY WILL GET THEIR CUT BY SUPPLYING SOLAR MODULES TO FIRST SOLAR COMPANY USA. DONT MESS AROUND WITH CHINAMAN CHECK YOUR MODULES AS THEY WILL BE INSTALLED HAHAHA..MADE IN CHINA
What is the cost benefit analysis of this project? What is the current quid/pro/quo with France and Zambia? Do Zambians get any deals with France? Are we being shafted by the French again just like the Chinese shaft Zambia? I am fed up of these one-sided deals where Zambians get milked to the bone year in year out while our leaders run around touring other nations admiring civilization in those countries while their nation is being savaged by poverty, corruption and lawlessness. The PF must be banned after ECL is removed. There is too much criminality in their chemistry.