The Zambian Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has approved the construction of solar power plants with a total capacity of 600 MW across three districts in the country. The combined investment in these projects is estimated at $414 million, according to a ZEMA statement.
The agency's committee reviewed a total of 156 proposed initiatives spanning the energy, mining, infrastructure, manufacturing, and agriculture sectors. The overall investment value of the reviewed projects exceeded $1.3 billion. Two of the projects were rejected due to non-compliance with the country's environmental standards.
ZEMA stated that the launch of these new solar capacities represents a "significant step in the transition to clean energy" and will help reduce the nation's dependence on fossil fuels for power generation.
This move towards renewable energy follows another major industrial investment. In July, Zambia's Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) signed a $1.1 billion agreement with Chinese company Fujian Xiang Xin. The deal, concluded at the inaugural Invest Zambia international investment conference in Lusaka, is for the construction of an oil refinery and a power complex in the city of Ndola.
Arthur Aminov
