Nsofwa Sikanyika

Cornwell Muleya, Chief Executive of Zambia’s Industrial Development Corporation, tells ENN how the IDC is moving Chisamba Solar and the rest of its renewable pipeline towards financial close, and why he expects power supply to grow in step with demand from the mines as Zambia works towards three million tonnes of copper a year by 2031.

With the re-election of Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema to a second five-year term in August this year, investors and private power developers are hoping that the early optimism generated by the country’s National Energy Compact will be justified by second-term progress on tariff reform, open access to transmission and distribution for private developers and simplified licensing for private power projects.

FMO is providing all the long-term debt for Kong Solaire, a 50MWp plant near Kong in northern Côte d’Ivoire developed by Africa Via, in which AXIAN holds a majority, and PIDG’s InfraCo. Construction is under way, with commissioning planned for 2028 and power sold to CI-ENERGIES for 25 years.

Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe has flagged off five interconnected hybrid solar mini-grids totalling 17.7MW across five local government areas of Oyo State. They are financed by the World Bank and developed by Paras Energy, and Tegbe told Nigerians there is no plan to raise electricity tariffs.

Solarcentury Africa has started full commercial operation of the second phase of its Mailo solar plant in Zambia’s Chitambo district, adding 34.5MWp to take the site to 59.5MWp. The first phase has sold its power on a fully merchant basis through the Southern African Power Pool since July 2025.

South Africa’s environment minister has dismissed all appeals against exploration in TotalEnergies-operated Block 3B/4B, clearing the way for up to five wells off the West Coast. Two days later in Cape Town, Magali Pailhé of TotalEnergies EP South Africa asked government to resolve the appeals still holding back its other blocks.

Zambia’s Ministry of Energy expects to commission 320MW of solar before the end of 2026, the largest share from a 120MW plant in Mumbwa. Bob Sianjalika, its Principal Public Relations Officer, told ZANIS that applications from independent power producers are still arriving, some with ZESCO power purchase agreements signed.

A 1MW solar mini-grid with 2.4MWh of battery storage now serves 6,028 connections in Tallasse, Gombe State, ending what the Ministry of Power describes as a 17-year blackout. The REA has also started building a 16MW network of four interconnected mini-grids across the state.