The local CGM Power Group is inviting expressions of interest from engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firms to build a 50MW grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant in Zambia's Luapula province in the Northern Circuit region.

The contractor will be required to design, plan, engineer, procure, schedule, construct, test, commission, operate and maintain the turnkey installation.

CGM Power Group plans to establish the solar farm across 250 hectares in the Chipili district along with a new 132/33kV substation.

The request for prequalification was released in March with a deadline of 14 June, and can be found here.

CGM Power Group will announce the prequalified applicants on 19 July and these firms will be issued a request for proposals (RFP).

The group is considering various options to optimise the solar plant’s design and maximise its output, including a ground-mounted PV system as the first option and a tracking system as the second option.

The project also includes a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a minimum capacity of 5MW and a maximum capacity of 10MW and transmission lines from the PV facility to the existing Mwenda substation owned by state utility Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) as well as a new 330/132/33kV substation at the Luongo manganese mine.

The 132kV line to the Mwenda substation will be 29km long and initially energised at 66kV, while the line running to the mine will be built at 132kV and will cover a distance of 22km. The Mwenda substation will be extended and upgraded and a new control building will also be constructed.

CGM Power Group has initiated two power purchase options for the project: market entry into the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP) and offtake agreements with Zesco and renewable energy trader Africa GreenCo.

The Zambia Development Agency provided an investment licence for the Chipili project in 2021. In 2022, the feasibility study was approved by the Ministry of Energy, and the implementation agreement signed.

CGM Power Group is aiming to develop 350MW of solar capacity within Zambia’s Northern Circuit region, providing more than 500,000 households with access to electricity. The Chipili project and a 50MW scheme in the Mansa district, which includes 20MW of BESS, are planned under the first phase of development.