It is with the support of the African Development Bank (AfDB) that the Zambian government has decided to launch five renewable energy projects capable of generating a total of 100 MW of electricity. To achieve this, they are calling for financial consultants for these projects.
A few weeks ago, the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group and the Green Climate Fund decided to support the Government of Zambia in its efforts to diversify its renewable energy sources. The country is until now very dependent on hydraulic energy, which has been weakened in recent years by an increasingly severe drought. The two institutions had concretely decided to inject $50 million to enable the country achieve its objectives.
The first results of this support are already being seen with five renewable energy installations scheduled. To this end, the AfDB’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Department is currently seeking consultants to arrange debt financing for five solar projects of 20 MW each, which the government wants to conduct as part of its Renewable Energy Feed-in Tariff (REFiT) policy. These include photovoltaic solar energy, small-scale hydropower, geothermal, biomass and wind power.
Responsibilities vis-à-vis the AfDB
The Zambian government’s programme has already begun to attract companies that are willing to invest in renewable energy. This is the case of Sterling and Wilson of India, which intends to build a solar power plant with a capacity of 54.7 MW; the largest in the country.
To help attract investors, the Zambian government has invested $4 million to develop an electrification ecosystem based on renewable energy. The aim is to create a favourable climate for private investment in the mini- and off-grid sector and to facilitate the capacity of certain financial institutions to better ensure the financing of renewable energy installations and infrastructure, the review of the projects in question and their monitoring.
The consultant would be a resource person for all activities related to the Global Energy Transfer Tariffs (GETFiT) programme in Zambia. He/she will also be responsible for regular interaction with the GETFiT Secretariat in Zambia, project promoters, financial institutions and other stakeholders to ensure the smooth running and implementation of the AfDB’s financing envelope for GETFiT projects.
The AfDB therefore invites interested parties to express their interest for the role of coordinator of the renewable energy financing programme in Zambia before the 8th of August 2018.
Jean Marie Takouleu
