The German government has called for increased investment in solar energy in Zambia’s rural areas if many marginalized lives are to be transformed.
Federal Germany Minister for Economic Development and Corporation Gerd Mueller who was on the Copperbelt recently to exploit potential investment areas, said the provision of electricity to rural areas, is inevitable, and that this will help to increase agriculture production.
Mr. Mueller said the availability of electricity in rural areas will enhance health care and education services as most life-saving medical equipment such as vaccine refrigerators will be used effectively.
He said Zambia has a comparative advantage of becoming a reliable solar energy producer in the region and entire Africa because of the adequate sunlight it receives.
Mr. Mueller said the Zambian government should, therefore take advantage of the prevailing favourable climatic conditions and transform the lives of people in rural areas through sustainable investment in solar energy.
He said in an interview after touring the one Mega Watt Riverside Solar Power plant in Kitwe that he will lobby for investors from his country to come and invest in the energy sector adding that the area of focus would be the rural communities.
He said putting in place, a five year energy sector strategic plan, over one million village households are expected to be connected to solar energy which he feel will reduce the dependence of rural communities on firewood as a source of energy.
And Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) PLC Acting Projects Officer, Vincent Nyirenda said the organisation has intentions to come up with big projects which will boost its power supply grid.
Mr. Nyirenda said CEC attaches a lot of importance to solar energy and would wish to install new plants in new areas including rural ones, provided it is profitable to the power generating company.
He said the Riverside Solar power plant which was funded by the Germany Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has so far been able to produce 880 MW/h of energy since its commissioning in 2018.
Our leaders are asleep for sure. Do we need foreigners to remind us of our own potential. Awe pa Zed, bwafya.
Edgar Lungu was very honest, he told us he had no vision and Zambians still voted for him. They don’t even care he was disbarred for stealing from a widow.
I have the potential to be the best person I can be
See how absurd that sounds ?
Same thing here m, this means nothing and should be ignored. I have the potential to be your next president, that’s right I will forgive you if you think I’m outta of my mind.
Grow up silly Zambian but more importantly smell the coffee !
Thanks
BB2014,2016
Let’s roll …
Kuwayawayafye
We know…..we told GRZ to double duties on imported solar products and grant tax breaks to have solar products assembled in Zambia using Zambia copper for all wiring…….at the same time all electrical goods should be imported with no sockets as these are to be made in Zambia.
electrical products don’t come with sockets, they come with plugs
Yes, those same ones….
And the country telling you this has dark winters and is the biggest producer of solar from domestic sources eg residents’ rooftops…our dull leaders would rather pour billions in hydro which is heavily dependent on rainfall.
Guys – please napapata let’s empower small-scale power producers on the solar arena so that they in turn will sell back to the grid. Those Germans telling you about solar potential know exactly how it is working in Germany. Tap that knowledge and not loans and silly monopoly policies. Just for once in our fcuking lives let’s do something useful – napapata mweo na muyanu!
I just like the mind of this man from Germany he seems to see what our government doesn’t see , he saw the black mountain on the copper belt to contain material for mobile phones and laptops he can open some dull minds in government.
I do remember him reminding investors to pay the taxes which they are savagely resisting , now they are softening up I just wonder what this means to some of these investors.
I wished this guy stay on in zambia for more days , this gives me a clue to how foreign investors look at african nations it is known from some foreign countries that africa is a place where people go to steal resources and it is true because our leader are timidly afraid to defend what belongs to them.
We are used to just consuming. A consuming nation. The only we produce is maize
We dont produce maize, we grow maize!!!!!
aLMOST EVERY INVESTMENT IN ZAMBIA WAS EITHER FUNDED AND CONSTRUCTRED BY CHINA, JAPAN, GERMANY , ETC WHY DONT WE GET TO PREGNANT YOUR WOMEN TOO?
There was an article of an UNZA student who is doing research in Solar Panels and has come up with a way of producing Solar Energy from Polymar materials. Is her idea being worked on as of now or it has died a natural death? If her research is implementable, we can have Solar Panels manufactured in Zambia. This will create jobs and earn the country foreign currency through export of the product. Our rich business men and private businesses that are Zambia owned must seriously look into Solar farms. We do not need a foreigner to come to Zambia and direct us to go Solar and yet we have Engineers, Technicians, and Architects that can plan, design, implement, and maintain the Solar Farms. Come on Zambians, let’s wake up. One Zambia One Nation.
Let’s go! Imagine a Zambia, where we are leaders in electric car use; gliding around in our Prius’, saving our environment. Improving our air quality (cutting down on fire wood emissions). And not forgetting people in rural areas enjoying electricity bills for the first time in their lives! What’s not to like?!
There is always a balancing of life. But this is good stuff.