Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (Zesco) has signed a 1GW solar power purchase agreement (PPA) with Canadian developer SkyPower Global.

The agreement is said to be pivotal to Zambia’s integrated renewable energy plan and will supply electricity to about 4 million homes. No further details have been provided on the project.

“Even as we are working with our partners to respond to the immediate needs of our people during the drought… we are also making plans for our long-term energy needs,” said Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema on the PPA signing in late April.

According to the country's Renewable Energy Strategy and Action Plan published in 2022, about 32.5% of Zambian households are connected to electricity services, with 70.6% of households electrified in urban areas and just 8.1% in rural areas. The government aims to achieve 51% rural electrification by 2030 and to add about 2GW of renewable energy capacity over the same period.

SkyPower Global is also undertaking solar projects in Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In mid-April, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission And Distribution Company (ZETDC) signed PPAs with SkyPower Global for a 500MW solar scheme to power an estimated 2 million households.

SkyPower Global is undertaking a 1GW solar project in the DRC and inked a joint development agreement with Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) for the 200MW first phase in February. The PPA for that project has been signed with state-owned utility Societe Nationale d’Electricite (SNEL). Construction is planned to commence by 2025.