Zambia has shortlisted ten regional and international companies to build a total of 100 MW of solar electricity projects by 2020.
The bidders were shortlisted following a Request for Qualification (RfQ) issued in April by the Zambian Energy Ministry under the country’s renewable energy programme. They will be now invited to submit technical and financial bids in a Request for Proposal (RfP), the next round of the selection.
A total of 41 projects from 24 solar power developers and investors responded to the RfQ, led by Multiconsult ASA (FRA:3MC). The Norwegian consultancy was selected in May as implementation consultant for the GET FiT programme in Zambia.
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The names of the selected bidders include,Building Energy SpA, EDF Energies Nouvelles, Enel Green Power SpA, Engie Afrique SA, Globeleq African Holdings Ltd & Aurora Power Solutions, InnoVent SAS & Copperbelt Energy Corp Plc, Mulilo Group Holdings Proprietary Ltd, Phanes Group, Scatec Solar ASA and Solar Reserve Development Company.
Hydro power dependent
Zambia is heavily dependent on hydro power and following a drought in 2016, an electricity shortage hit Africa’s No.2 copper producer, forcing it to ration power supply to the mines.The country has since embarked on a policy to diversify to renewable forms of energy to ensure security of electricity supply.
The country will launch the request for proposal sometime in July. Global Energy Transfer Feed-in Tariff Zambia programme director William Pearson told Reuters on the sidelines of a mining and energy conference.
