Total Eren, the subsidiary of the French oil company TotalEnergies, and the British company Chariot have signed a new project in Zimbabwe. The project involves the construction of a 30 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant to supply the Karo platinum mine.
The partnership between the British company Chariot and the French company Total Eren continues in Zimbabwe. The two companies have just signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Karo Mining Holdings, the company that operates the Karo platinum mine. The contract covers a 30 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant that Total and Chariot will build in the Mashonaland West province.
Operations at the Karo mine were officially launched on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 in the presence of the Zimbabwean authorities. The site covers an area of 23,000 hectares approximately 80 km southwest of the capital Harare and 35 km southeast of Chegutu. Karo Mining Holdings, the operator of the Karo platinum mine, is majority owned by Tharisa, a mining company based in Paphos, Cyprus.
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The solar project developed by Chariot and Total Eren for the Karo mine is targeting an initial installed capacity of 30 MWp, with a potential expansion to 300 MWp. “Our solar project will allow Karo Platinum Mine to be powered by low-carbon electricity during its operating life, thereby reducing its carbon footprint,” says Fabienne Demol, deputy managing director and global head of business development at Total Eren.
The solar power plant will allow Karo Mining Holdings to reduce its energy costs while minimising its impact on the environment. Moreover, according to Bernard Pryor, its managing director, the partnership with the two renewable energy suppliers is part of Karo Mining’s sustainable development strategy.
Jean Marie Takouleu
