The National Railways of Zimbabwe Contributory Pension Fund (NRZCPF) has announced an agreement with Distributed Power Africa (DPA), a market leader in innovative solar energy solutions, for the installation of rooftop solar systems at its key properties across the country.
The NRZ Contributory Pension Fund manages a portfolio of properties in the country, including several office buildings and retail space. Under the agreement, these important properties will be equipped with rooftop solar systems with a total capacity of 5.3 MW and ensure reliable and uninterrupted power supply for the occupants.
DPA, the renewable energy business of pan-African group Cassava Technologies, is implementing the project that would cover NRZCPF’s clients including financial service providers, retail operators, wholesalers, etc. This new agreement is one of the most notable projects by DPA in Zimbabwe to date.
The rooftop solar systems installation project comes at a time when the country is grappling with regular power outages due to reduced generation. This has resulted in DPA speeding up the roll-out of renewable energy solutions for its customers across various sectors in the country. DPA has projected the annual energy generation for this project at 5.59 GWh which would contribute significantly towards receiving the grid.
Daivyajeet Mahajan, CEO of DPA Zimbabwe, said the company is ready to partner with its clients to deliver reliable and cleaner energy solutions to meet their energy needs. The growing awareness among businesses to adopt renewable energy is encouraging as it shows increasing consciousness toward meeting sustainable development goals.
Takunda Madanha, the Chairman of NRZCPF Board, said this partnership with DPA fulfills their mission of managing their funds in an efficient and responsible way. By switching to solar energy, they could reduce over 2192 tons of annual carbon emissions and help them meet the obligations to their members and tenants, as well as to the environment.
Many Zimbabwean small to large-scale businesses are turning to solar energy to overcome the country’s worst challenge of prolonged electricity cuts. Industry leaders say the power shortages should be seen as a reality check for businesses to start investing in solar energy as a long-term solution.
