Hakainde Hichilema, Zambian president, delivers a speech during the ceremony.
An aerial view of the Itimpi Solar Plant.
The grid-connection ceremony for the 50-Megawatt Itimpi Solar Plant, constructed by POWERCHINA in Zambia, took place on April 10. Hakainde Hichilema, Zambian president, attended the ceremony and delivered a speech.
Also present at the ceremony were Liu Guoyu, Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Zambia, several Zambian government officials, and representatives from Copperbelt Energy Corporation and POWERCHINA.
President Hichilema emphasized that electricity is fundamental for Zambia's mining and agricultural development and is crucial to Zambia in transitioning from exporting raw materials to producing high-value-added products.
He highlighted the significance of the project for Zambia's efforts in climate change mitigation, economic development, and energy diversification.
The Itimpi Solar Plant is located in Kitwe's Itimpi area in Copperbelt Province, which is the economic and electricity demand center of Zambia. The project includes a 50MW solar plant and auxiliary transmission projects.
The plant is expected to generate over 100 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. This will further alleviate regional electricity shortages in Zambia, mitigate power shortages caused by drought, enhance the reliability of power supply for surrounding industries and mining operations, and provide much cleaner electricity for Zambia's economic development.
During construction, the project has created over 1,000 local jobs, significantly boosting local economic development.
