Bangweulu Solar Power Station

Bangweulu Solar Power Station
Bangweulu Solar Power Station
Country	Zambia
Location	Kafue District, Lusaka Province
Coordinates	15°30′42″S 28°25′54″E
Status	Operational
Commission date	11 March 2019
Construction cost	US$60 million
Owner	Bangweulu Power Company Limited
Operator	Bangweulu Power Company Limited
Solar farm
Type	Standard PV
Thermal power station
Primary fuel	Solar
Power generation
Nameplate capacity	54 MW (72,000 hp)

Bangweulu Solar Power Station (BSPS), is a 54 MW (72,000 hp) solar power plant in Zambia. The solar farm that was commercially commissioned in March 2019, was developed and is owned by a consortium comprising Neoen, a French IPP, Industrial Development Corporation of Zambia (IDC Zambia), a government parastatal company and First Solar, a US-based solar panel manufacturer. The power station cost US$60 million to develop.[1][2]

Location

The power plant is located in the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone,[2] in Kafue District, in Lusaka Province, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi), by road, southeast of the central business district of Lusaka, the capital of Zambia and the largest city in that country.[3] BSPS its on 52 hectares (130 acres) of real estate.[4] The geographical coordinates of Bangweulu Solar Power Station are 15°30'42.0"S, 28°25'54.0"E (Latitude:-15.511667; Longitude:28.431667), just north of the Ngonye Solar Power Station.[5]

Overview

The Government of Zambia, through IDC Zambia, working with the World Bank Group, as part of the bank's program "Scaling Solar", awarded the tender to develop this power station to Neoen, a French independent power producer. The American solar panel manufacturer First Solar Inc. was selected to manufacture and supply the solar panels for the power station.[1][2][6]

The power generated here is purchased by Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) under a 25-year power purchase agreement executed between ZESCO and Neoen at US$0.0602 per kWh.[1][2][6]

Ownership

This power station is owned by a consortium whose members are illustrated in the table below. The members of the consortium formed a special purpose vehicle company Bangweulu Power Company Limited, which operates and maintains the power station.[1][2][6]

Bangweulu Power Company Limited Ownership

Rank	Shareholder	Domicile	Notes
1	Neoen	France	[1][2][6]
2	First Solar	United States	[1][2][6]
3	IDC Zambia	Zambia	[1][2][6]

Funding, construction and timeline

This renewable energy infrastructure development project received a grant of US$2 million, from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).[7]

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (formerly OPIC, now DFC), jointly lent US$39 million to the consortium of owner/developers of BSPS.[4]

The EPC contract was awarded to Sterling & Wilson, an engineering and Construction company, based in India. Construction started in December 2017, with commercial commissioning taking place in March 2019.[1][2][4]

See also

• List of power stations in Zambia
• Ngonye Solar Power Station

References

1. Jean Marie Takouleu (20 March 2019). "Zambia: Bangweulu's solar park (54 MW) recently delivered by Neoen and IDC". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
2. Anu Bhambhani (13 March 2019). "54 MW Zambian Solar PV Project Comes Online". Taiyangnews.info. Beijing, China. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
3. "Road Distance Between Lusaka, Zambia And Bangweulu Solar Power Station, Zambia" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
4. Daniel Saltsman (21 December 2017). "Neoen begins work on a solar park in Zambia, in the first stage of the Scaling Solar programme" (PDF). Neoen.com. Paris, France. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
5. "Location of Bangweulu Solar Power Station" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
6. Chris Phiri (11 March 2019). "Lungu Commissions 54MW Solar Power Plant". ZambiaReports.com. Lusaka. Retrieved 9 September 2021.
7. United States Embassy in Zambia (11 March 2019). "Zambia Energized by United States and Power Africa Initiative". United States Embassy in Zambia. Lusaka. Retrieved 9 September 2021.

External links

• Scaling Solar: The Complete Package