The Kolwezi Solar Power Station is a proposed 100 MW (130,000 hp) solar power plant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The power station is under development by a number of independent power producers and international financial institutions. The energy from this solar farm will be sold to the Société Nationale d'Électricité (SNEL), the national electricity utility company.[1]
| Kolwezi Solar Power Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Location | Kolwezi, Lualaba Province |
| Coordinates | 10°37′01″S 25°27′58″E / 10.61694°S 25.46611°E |
| Status | Proposed |
| Owner | Kolwezi Solar Consortium |
| Operator | Kolwezi Solar Limited |
| Solar farm | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 100 MW (130,000 hp) |
Location
editThe power station would be located in city of Kolwezi, the provincial headquarters of Lualaba Province, in the southeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[1] Kolwezi is located west of Likasi and lies approximately 302 kilometres (188 mi), northwest of the city of Lubumbashi, the nearest large city.[2]
Overview
editThe power station has a planned maximum generation capacity of 100 megawatts. The owner/developers of this solar farm are expected to form a special vehicle company to own, design, finance, build, operate and maintain the power station. The table below illustrates a partial list of the potential shareholders in the SPV company. For descriptive purposes we will call the SPV Kolwezi Solar Limited.[1]
| Rank | Shareholder | Domicile | Percentage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | International Finance Corporation | United States | [1] | |
| 2 | Globeleq | United Kingdom | [1] | |
| 3 | Greenshare Energy | South Africa | [1] | |
| 4 | Greenshare Congo | DR Congo | [1] | |
| 5 | Volt Renewables | South Africa | [1] | |
| 6 | Nzuri Energy | South Africa | [1] |
Construction costs
editThe engineering, procurement and construction contract is yet to be awarded, as of December 2021. The construction costs have been reported as US$148 million.[3]
Other considerations
editA long-term power purchase agreement has already been executed between the solar farm developers/owners and SNEL. The power station will provide an estimated 250 GWh of clean energy to the national grid of DR Congo, enough to supply 1.25 million Congolese people. Other beneficiaries include mines in the Lualaba Province, including those of copper, cobalt, gold, uranium and radium.[1][3]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Jean Marie Takouleu (1 December 2021). "DRC: Investors join forces for 100 MWp solar plant in Kolwezi". Afrk21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ "Road Distance Between Kolwezi, DRC And Lubumbashi, DRC" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
- ^ a b Hereward Holland, Aaron Ross and David Evans (28 June 2021). "Congo signs deal for two 100 MW solar plants in copper belt". Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
External links
edit- Democratic Republic of the Congo Energy Situation As of 23 March 2020.