Tirana era zambia energy storage

Can a mini-grid solve energy access challenges in Zambia?

Access to reliable electricity is a fundamental driver of economic development and improved quality of life. In Zambia, as in many parts of the world, the mini-grid sector has emerged as a promising solution to address energy access challenges in remote and underserved areas.

Why is there no power generation infrastructure in Zambia?

For approximately 30 years, no large-scale generation infrastructure was built in Zambia. Between 1977 and 2010, a limited amount of investment was made in new power generation infrastructure. This is because, for several years, the country had an oversupply of electricity and stagnated economic growth, impacting electricity demand.

Does Zambia have a cost-reflective electricity pricing structure?

In some cases, ZESCO procured electricity from emergency power producers for almost three times the price that it sold it for (Bayliss & Pollen, 2021). Zambia has initiated a transition away from its previous practice of maintaining low and heavily subsidized electricity tariffs towards adopting cost-reflective pricing structures.

Will Zambia achieve cost-reflective electricity tariffs by 2019?

Beginning in 2009, Zambia embarked on a path to gradually shift towards cost-reflective tariffs, aligning with the goals of the SADC. In a span of five months in 2017, tariffs were raised by approximately 75% with the objective of achieving fully cost-reflective electricity tariffs by 2019.