Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Online Correspondent
ABOUT 500 delegates from across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are expected to attend the SADC Sustainable Energy Week, which is also set to attract regional and international investors, policymakers and exhibitors to showcase energy solutions and investment opportunities.
The event will be held in Victoria Falls from February 23 to 27, with Zimbabwe hosting the regional energy platform following its inaugural edition held in Botswana last year.
Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo said the meeting would focus on strengthening regional cooperation on power generation, renewable energy development and transmission infrastructure.
“The first sustainable energy link was held in Botswana last year and Zimbabwe is the second host,” he said.
“We are looking at policies applicable in the Sadc region, the exchange of technologies and strengthening the Southern African Power Pool.”
Minister Moyo said while Sadc countries were accelerating investment in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and waste-to-energy, baseload power from coal-fired plants and large hydro schemes would remain critical.
He said power shortages in Zimbabwe and the region were being driven by limited generation capacity as well as inefficiencies in transmission and distribution systems.
“We have shortages of generation, but we also have inefficiencies, including transmission losses and distribution challenges, which worsen power shortages,” he said.
He said Zimbabwe had signed memoranda of understanding with Mozambique and Zambia on gas and petroleum product pipelines and had also agreed with Zambia on the development of a new transmission line under the Sadc regional interconnector programme.
The new transmission infrastructure is expected to enable the evacuation of excess power from countries such as South Africa and Mozambique to Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and other markets within the region.
Minister Moyo said Sadc was also prioritising major regional hydroelectric projects, including Batoka Gorge and the Inga Dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is projected to generate over 40 000 megawatts.
At national level, he said Zimbabwe had crafted an Energy Compact aligned with National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2), targeting an increase in non-hydro renewable energy to 27 percent of the national energy mix.
“Our energy compact is aligned with NDS2 and will be unpacked during this conference so that investors, both local and foreign, can understand our priorities,” Minister Moyo said.
He said the Government had liberalised the energy sector to attract private investment through measures such as reduced licensing fees, the issuance of power purchase agreements, the granting of national project status and guarantees on the externalisation of dividends and loan repayments.
Electricity access in Zimbabwe currently stands at 62 percent, with rural areas still lagging behind, although the Government plans to electrify all schools and clinics this year.
Minister Moyo also encouraged households and companies to invest in solar power and energy efficiency, noting that net-metered solar contributions had reached 74 megawatts, with more capacity in the pipeline.
The Sadc Sustainable Energy Week is expected to provide a platform for regional collaboration, investment mobilisation and the sharing of best practices in the energy sector.
