The business community has been urged to invest in solar energy and use net metering to sell excess power into the national grid, thus reducing its dependence on Zesa. This is critical in the face of climate-driven load shedding and sales will cover some of the costs of solar investment.
Kariba South Power Station is operating at around 12 percent of its maximum output and less than a sixth of what would be average in an normal year, following two years of well-below average rainfall in south-east Angola, where most Upper Zambezi water comes from.
Speaking at the Business Council for Sustainable Development Zimbabwe (BCSDZ) annual conference in Harare on Monday, Industry and Commerce Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said there was an urgent need to move away from blame-shifting to collaborative efforts in investing in green energy.
"My plea to businesses today is that we need to come together. We must realise that this is a common problem that requires our collective action," said Minister Ndlovu.
He acknowledged several success stories, noting that companies like Schweppes and Zimplats have installed solar plants, enabling them to mitigate the impact of prolonged load shedding during lean production periods.
Minister Ndlovu highlighted the compromised reliability of Kariba Dam.
"I am coming from Kariba, and the impact of climate change has been significant. The drought of last year has severely affected power generation, leading to substantial reductions in electricity supply across the country," he said.
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Minister Ndlovu stressed the importance of finding innovative solutions to challenges posed by climate change.
BCSDZ chief executive officer, Dr Dingane Sithole, echoed the call for all businesses to invest in renewable energy.
However, he urged Government to implement policies that streamline the execution of these projects.
"We require assistance in shortening the life cycle for implementing solar projects. Currently, the environmental impact assessment alone can take up to 60 days for approval," said Dr Sithole.
He proposed far quicker approval for standardised projects that addressed listed concerns, and suggested introducing non-financial incentives, such as national project status for renewable energy initiatives.
The collaborative effort between the Government and the business community is seen as crucial for advancing Zimbabwe's green energy agenda and addressing the ongoing power crisis.
