Africa-Press – Zambia. Zambia is seeing a steady rise in utility scale solar projects, from Bangweulu and Ngonye to Chisamba and several new farms now being planned. The question often asked is, why solar and not wind, geothermal, or coal?
The main reason is practicality. Solar is currently the cheapest and fastest to deploy. It does not require long feasibility studies, massive dams, or complex fuel logistics. With abundant sunshine, projects can be completed in under a year, and global costs have fallen sharply over the past decade. This makes solar an effective short term measure to ease power shortages and reduce load shedding.
Other renewable options remain promising but face real challenges. Wind depends on consistent speeds, and Zambia’s data is still limited. Geothermal requires deep drilling and significant upfront investment before any results are known. As for coal, while it provides stable base load, it raises environmental concerns and is harder to finance under today’s global climate commitments. These alternatives will play a role in future diversification but are not as quick to implement when urgent capacity is needed.
Hydropower remains Zambia’s backbone, yet droughts have exposed its vulnerability. When water levels fall, so does generation. Solar helps spread that risk since it does not rely on rainfall and supports the grid during daylight hours, easing pressure on hydro plants.
Meanwhile, thermal generation is catching up. New plants linked to industrial operations are beginning to provide dependable base load power, helping stabilize the grid as renewables expand. Though not renewable, thermal will remain important in maintaining system reliability..
Solar’s growth, then, is not by accident. It is fast, clean, and relatively affordable, helping Zambia build resilience in the face of climate change.
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