Econet Zimbabwe has today in Harare launched a solar plant in Willowvale the largest commercial and industrial carport and roof mount installation of its kind to be deployed in the country.
Speaking on behalf of the Energy Minister during the launch, Permanent Secretary in the Power Ministry Gloria Magumbo applauded Econet and said such solar projects are in line with the Government’s vision.
“The commissioning of this plant marks a historic event in the renewable energy sector in the country, as it signals the beginning of large scale solar adoption in the commercial and industrial space,” Magumbo said.
” Not only does this development put Zimbabwe on the world map, it shows our dedication as a nation in meeting global goals in the sector, which include the reduction of Green House Gas emissions towards the decarbonisation of the climate.”
The 466KW solar power plant was engineered and installed by Distributed Power Africa, an Econet’s solar business.
Such a solar system will operate under a 25-year Independent Power Producer (IPP) Licence, one of the few issued by the energy and power regulator in Zimbabwe for self-consumption.
Under the IPP Licence, Econet Willowvale will also generate and supply power for self-consumption and at peak, the plant will cater for nearly 45 per cent of the business’s electricity needs.
Willowvale solar plant has a total of 1435 panels installed at carports and rooftop, generating an estimated 780MWH of energy per annum.
Econet Wireless Zimbabwe Group CEO Douglas Mboweni, who also spoke at the commissioning of the plant said the installation demonstrated the company’s commitment to the adoption of clean and reliable energy.
“Our organisation launched a Green campaign in 2018 which has seen the company investing in alternative renewable energies, starting with six of our own business premises,” he said.
“The commissioning of our Willowvale solar power plant demonstrates our focus to ensure that all our offices nationwide transition to clean and reliable energy as rapidly as possible” said Mr Mboweni.
The CEO also said along with the Willowvale complex, Econet Bulawayo offices had also gone Green, with all the installations being done by Distributed Power Africa
DPA Zimbabwe CEO Divyajeet Mahajan, who also spoke on the launch said the adoption of clean solar energy was on the rise in Zimbabwe.
“With new technology, increased expertise and our viable financing solutions, the adoption of solar energy has increased significantly, and as Zimbabwe is gearing itself towards global competitiveness energy remains a critical pillar in our economic transformation,” Mahajan said.
“In the global agenda, Zimbabwe seeks to achieve a 33% reduction in emissions by 2030 and the Willowvale installation will result in a marked reduction of its carbon footprint, by 285,000 kg per annum.”
Mboweni said that work was at an advanced stage at Econet’s major offices countrywide, including Mutare, Gweru and Masvingo, as the company worked towards its contributions to global de-carbonisation of the energy sector.
