The Sunday News
Solar solutions firm the Meeco group says it is in the process of obtaining a licence to become an Independent Power Producer in Zimbabwe.
With about two years in Zimbabwe via its local unit OurSun Energy, the company has so far signed partnerships with local strategic public and private firms such as Powerspeed Electricals (Ltd), William Bain Holdings Ltd, the Zimbabwe National Water Authority, and BDO Zimbabwe.
“Moreover, to safeguard the compliance with local guidelines, legal and administrative requirements, are as well a crucial part of the team’s tasks. Indeed, OurSun is in the process of obtaining a licence to be recognised as an IPP in Zimbabwe,” said Meeco in a statement.
Meeco said OurSun will act as local managing partner as an additional bridge between Meeco, the local authorities and companies.
It added that its local subsidiary company will provide support regarding local development work, logistics as well as managerial and operational support.
Meanwhile, OurSun has begun developing a cluster of 10MW grid connected solar photovoltaic sun2live projects in Harare and Melfort Areas with plans to commission the first 5MW in April 2015.
Meeco said the project will see a 5MW plant being built in the Melfort Area in Mashonaland East with the other 5MW plant in Mount Hampden.
According to Meeco, each of the 5MW plants will be developed at a cost of about $8,5 million covering approximately 15 hectares while generating a capacity of 8 500 MWh each year replacing up to 8 700 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.
“The first project on Utopia Farm will be developed in conjunction with local investment company Mosspatch Investments. The Meeco Group has agreed with Mosspatch, the owner of Utopia Farm to design, build and operate in a first phase up to 5MW solar PV plant on the premises,”said Meeco.
The equipment for the first 5MW plant is already in transit to Zimbabwe and is scheduled to arrive in January 2015 with construction expected to commence from February to April 2016 when the facility will be commissioned.
“The teams in Zimbabwe as well as in Europe are currently working on finalising the design, engineering and execution to allow a successful implementation,” said Meeco.
The Swiss based solar firm also said that it will be responsible for developing and designing the project, procurement of tier-one components as well as managing technical aspects and funding the project. Meeco will also provide the Utopia Farm up to 77 000 CIS modules of German source and combine this with high quality European inverters and sub-structure from Fronius and Axial or other equivalent European companies.
OurSun managing director Simbarashe Mhuriro said: “2014 has been a great year for us and we are excited to kick off 2015 with the first 5MW. What started off as a vision to build own and operate 150MW in no larger than 5MW plants which will be distributed across the country has now grown to 230 MW over the next five years in 5MW plants based in large part on power deficit and the potential Zimbabwe’s energy sector has shown us.
“This first real sized project is the first step towards achieving vision and our commitment to the market,” he said.
Meeco board member Konstatin Wolf expressed pleasure and commitment to working with Zimbabwe’s local authorities and companies.
“We are very excited about Zimbabwe and believe in the prospects within its energy sector. As a company, we have received tremendous support from local authorities such as the parent Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority and the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply and Distribution Company which has led us to this firsts project.
“We are enthusiastic to support the local economy by supplying reliable energy resource, decrease load shedding, reducing dependency on coal and increasing the use of renewable energy in the country,”
he said. – BH24.
