Can battery storage be used with solar photovoltaics in Zambia?

The Zambian regulation foresees customs duty and VAT exemptions for most equipment used in renewable energy or battery storage projects. Detailed information is provided in In this section, we discuss the opportunity of battery storage in combination with solar photovoltaics from a financial point of view.

How much does a solar battery cost in Zambia?

Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility. (2022). Customs Handbook for Solar PV Products in Zambia. Bloomberg New Energy Finance. (2022, December 6). Lithium-ion Battery Pack Prices Rise for First Time to an Average of $151/kWh.

Will Zambia increase its solar power capacity by 2030?

The Zambian government has set a target to increase its installed solar and wind capacity to 600 MW by 2030. However, the current installed capacity for solar photovoltaics is only 90 MWp, indicating significant underutilisation of Zambia's potential in the renewable energy sector.

Why should German and European service providers invest in Zambia?

For German and European service providers active in the energy sector, Zambia presents significant potential for business development. There are clear needs across the solar energy and storage value chain, including pro-ject development and financing, equipment manufacturing, system inte-gration and contracting.

How much solar power does Zambia have?

Zambia’s installed solar capacity is 89 MW. Zambia has two utility scale solar power plants: French company, Neoen, and U.S. company, First Solar, own and operate the 47.5 MW Bangweulu Solar Power Station in Lusaka, of which the Zambian government holds a 20 percent stake through its Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

How much electricity does Zambia produce?

Zambia has 2,800 MW of installed electricity generation capacity, of which 83 percent is from hydro, nine percent from coal, five percent from heavy fuel oil, and three percent from solar. The mining sector is the country’s largest power consumer, using 51 percent of total generated electricity, followed by the domestic sector at 33 percent.