Government says it is aiming to provide sufficient and sustainable energy for both rural and urban dwellers by 2030, a move which will see the adoption of solar energy into the existing power supply grids.
Energy and Power Development Minister, Fortune Chasi, in a speech read on his behalf during the launch of a solar project by Zonful Energy in Guruve last week said the government is working towards clean energy to compliment the fossil power already in existence.
“The mission is to ensure the adequate provision of sufficient and sustainable energy through formulating and implementing effective policy and regulatory frameworks.
“This allows us to achieve universal access to sustainable energy in Zimbabwe by 2030,” he said.
According to the vision 2030, Chasi said, the government aims to increase power in households from 52.2 percent to 72 percent.
He said rural household uptake of electricity will increase to 60 percent from 27.7 percent while urban uptake will increase to 95 percent from 86 percent.
Zimbabwe is currently reeling facing an acute power shortage which has been worsened by erratic water levels at Kariba Dam which feeds the Kariba Hydro Power Station as well as antiquated machinery at Hwange Thermal Power station
Zonful Energy chief executive officer William Ponela said there was a need to ensure that every household generates its own energy.
“If you look at the cost of hydro-power over solar, hydro has become too expensive and it doesn’t make sense for us to continue using it,” he said.
“Our solar panels are now wireless unlike the traditional way of solar connections. It has become cheaper so you can see that the conversions in technology have made it easier for people to move to solar.”
Ponela said the organisation was targeting to power 20 000 households in Guruve district and one million countrywide by 2025.
Chasi commended Zonful for bringing clean and affordable energy to rural communities.
“At least, 80 percent of the rural population in Zimbabwe is off-grid which means these areas have no grid connections and they are using unsafe energy sources.
“I, therefore, commend the Zonful Energy team for its unwavering efforts to bring clean and affordable energy to both the peri-urban and the rural communities of Zimbabwe,” he said.
