Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has inaugurated the 60MW Itimpi photovoltaic (PV) solar farm in Kitwe, in the country’s Copperbelt region

The US$53 million plant constitutes phase one of a 186MW project, which is being developed by CEC Renewables, a wholly-owned subsidiary of local independent power distribution and transmission company Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC).

Powerchina was the main contractor for the first phase, which was built in 30 months and is expected to generate 126GWh a year

“The commissioning of this power plant is particularly timely, as our country and the surrounding region grapple with a severe power shortage that threatens energy and food security, and ultimately, national security,” said Hichilema at the inauguration on 10 April

“Investing in alternative energy sources beyond hydroelectric power, which has been severely impacted by El Nino, is a commendable initiative. It significantly contributes to mitigating the current power deficit in our country.

CEC Renewables will now embark on the 126MW phase two of the Itimpi facility. According to the firm’s 2023 annual report released at the end of March, the land has been secured for the project and the environmental and social impact assessments have been completed. Phase two is targeted to come online in 2025

CEC Renewables already operates the 34MW Riverside PV solar plant in Kitwe. The US$22 million project was commissioned in February 2023 and generates 46.6 GWh a year. The main contractor for that project was China's Sinohydro

The development of the Riverside and Itimpi phase one facilities were financed using a US$70 million shareholder loan facility. This was then refinanced using CEC’s US$200 million green bond programme, which will also cover phase two of the Itimpi project

CEC supplies power to the mining industry and is a member of the Southern African Power Pool. The group operates a power infrastructure network spanning the mining belt between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). CEC supplies up to 45% of Zambia's electricity demand.