The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in Zimbabwe has received an unsolicited bid from Williams Engineering for a joint venture project to construct a 50MW solar farm. In its bid, the company confirmed that the project would not only address the energy deficit in Bulawayo by boosting the national grid, but also provide extra income for council.
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The proposal
“As a Bulawayo-based company, we have been operating since 1996. We have many years’ experience in electrical engineering and are currently involved with a number of upcoming solar stations in and around Zimbabwe,” the company said in its bid. Our engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model has great benefits to our client, as we finance the project. The solar plant will cater for the power needs of the city, region and the excess pays for the loan, all of which is down to the power purchase agreement (PPA) to be agreed upon,” the proposal said.
Under the proposed deal, the council will provide the land and conduct environmental and geological studies, while Williams Engineering will finance the project. “Williams Engineering will provide finance capital up to the sum of US $75 000 and then recoup their investment through the selling of electricity to Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC). If both parties are satisfied with the above specifications, the profits and losses will be shared in the following manner, Williams Engineering 75% and BCC 25%,” added the proposal.
Construction of the project, with an expected lifespan of 20 years, is projected to take up to 24 months.
