Staff Reporter
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy and Power Development has urged the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) to install a floating solar farm in Lake Kariba to alleviate electricity shortages and reduce the cost of importing electricity.
Speaking on the sidelines of the 10th Parliament Portfolio Committee on Energy and Power Development, ZANU PF Legislator for Chegutu West, Shackmore Timburwa, said it would be imperative to have a floating solar plant in Kariba Dam to help with electricity problems.
“I have done a couple of researches, Kariba dam’s length span of about 280 kilometres, I know you have a challenge of water supply, but have you considered a possibility of us having floating solar plant farms in Kariba Dam. If you check how much megawatts we can produce, we can produce about 500 megawatts considering the vast land covered by Kariba Dam,” said Honourable Timburwa.
The legislator also added another solution of having a battery energy storage system, to help in efficiency and save on the fiscal commitment of importing electricity.
“I offer a solution that I think will help us in efficiency and also to save us on the fiscal commitment of importing electricity from the SADC Power Authority. If we are able to have a battery energy storage system.
“What we can do is, when we import electricity from South Africa during the peak hours, it will cost us about 0,07 to 0,08 US cents per kilowatt, but if we import during the off peak hours we are able to then store that electricity we have imported in our battery energy storage system. We will now be able to meet our demand whether its industry, commerce, schools, security, among others, will save us money,” continued MP Timburwa.
Improved electricity supply is key as it forms the basis for stable industrial operations. A continued work towards a sustainable power generation and supply model will be good for the attainment of Vision 2030.
