SADC meets in Botswana for Sustainable Energy Week

ZIMBABWE is poised to participate in the rescheduled inaugural Southern African Development Community (SADC) Sustainable Energy Week in Botswana, a key event promoting sustainable energy practices across the region. The conference, running from February 24-28 in Gaborone, is themed “Accelerating Sustainable Energy Solutions for an Energy Secure SADC Region”.

Originally planned for December, the event highlights the urgent need to address regional energy challenges.
SADC Sustainable Energy Week will showcase opportunities in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and programmes across the energy value chain. For years, most SADC members have struggled with electricity deficits, hindering socio-economic development. National economies depend on a sustainable energy supply, making the current crisis a major concern.

Regional utilities increasingly use load shedding to manage shortfalls, worsening the situation.
The conference programme focuses on policy and enabling environments, financing, grid integration, energy efficiency, renewable energy technologies, clean cooking, energy storage, and other transitional sector priorities.

The 2024 SADC Sustainable Energy Week is jointly organised with the 6th International Off-grid Renewable Energy Conference (IOREC), the 8th SOLTRAIN Regional Conference, and the Global Network of Sustainable Energy Centres (GN-SEC) meeting.

“The event will create a platform bringing together stakeholders, including SADC energy institutions like the SADC Secretariat, the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP), and the Regional Energy Regulators Association (RERA) of Southern Africa. Government ministries, policymakers, utilities, regulators, the private sector (including investors and developers), researchers, and financiers (DFIs, MFIs, commercial banks, and institutional investors) will also attend,” the event outline states.

The inaugural event is expected to attract government officials, industry leaders, energy experts, and academics, all committed to advancing the sustainable energy agenda in the SADC region. Zimbabwe’s Minister of Energy and Power Development, July Moyo, will be a speaker, alongside SADC Executive Secretary Mr Elias Magosi and other regional energy ministers.

The region’s energy mix is currently dominated by coal (59 percent) and hydropower (24 percent). While renewable energy uptake has increased, more drastic measures are needed to bridge the power gap. Energy experts suggest waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies as a dual solution to energy shortages and the growing waste management crisis, exacerbated by rapid urbanisation and population growth.

The SADC Secretariat recognises waste management as a critical challenge, with uncollected waste and illegal dumps increasingly prevalent in urban areas. Zimbabwe is at the forefront of this initiative, with Geo Pomona Waste Management Private Limited’s project a prime example.

The region also has abundant coal reserves for thermal power generation. However, given global calls for reduced carbon emissions by 2050, the bloc is exploring its vast water resources for electricity generation. The proposed US$4.5 billion Batoka hydroelectric project on the Zambezi River, implemented by the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), is a key priority.

Once completed, it is expected to add 2,400 MW to the grid, significantly alleviating the energy supply gap in Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Recently, Zimbabwe commissioned a major thermal energy investment at Hwange Power Station’s Units 7 and 8, financed by US$1.5 billion from China. This project has increased the country’s power generation capacity by 600 MW.