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BH24 Reporter
HARARE – Econet Wireless Zimbabwe is set to expedite the development of its solar power project in Willowvale after the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) granted the mobile telecommunications firm a generation licence.
The mobile telecoms firm indicated last year that it was planning to set up a solar power plant that would fully supply its Willowvale and Masasa offices.
The proposed power plant will however also be connected to the national electricity grid.
“The generation licence (GC 0066/2018) is hereby granted to Econet Wireless (Pvt) Limited in terms of section 42 of the Electricity Act to construct, own, operate and maintain Econet Willowvale Solar Plant for the purposes of generation and supply of electricity for own consumption but connected to the grid,” said ZERA chief executive officer Dr Gloria Magombo in a statement.
Last year, Econet said its offices in Masasa and Graniteside will be powered by solar energy by year end following the launch of Distributed Power Africa (DPA), a renewable energy-focused subsidiary of parent company, the Econet Group.
DPA is a renewable energy company that currently offers solar energy installations for corporates at zero start-up cost.
The Econet Group’s renewable energy firm has its technical team in the country, although operations are based in South Africa.
“DPA has its dedicated technical team in Willowvale. The head office staff sit in two countries, there are operations officers sitting in Johannesburg servicing tenders in the region. Nothing is stopping us going further than these two countries if we win a bid in another country,” said DPA business development executive Dr Joseph Kuhudzai at the time.
DPA operates under Econet Group’s Econet New Enterprises division.
Bongani Ndlovu