CGM Power Group, an independent power producer (IPP) in Zambia, has issued a call for expressions of interest for the development of a 50 MW on-grid solar plant in Chipili, located in Luapula province in northern Zambia. The tender is open to both local and international engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) companies.
According to the tender documents, the selected EPC firm will be responsible for designing, planning, engineering, procuring, scheduling, obtaining permits, constructing, testing, commissioning, operating, and maintaining the solar project. The solar plant will be situated on a 250-hectare site and will include a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity ranging from 5 MW to 10 MW. Additionally, transmission lines will be constructed to connect the plant to the Mwenda Zesco substation, located 29 km away, as well as to a solar plant at the Luongo Mine, 22 km away.
The tender process will begin with a request for prequalification, followed by a second stage where prequalified applicants will be invited to submit detailed proposals. The deadline for submitting prequalification applications is June 14, 2024.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Zambia had a cumulative installed solar capacity of 124 MW by the end of 2023, up from 89 MW at the end of 2022.
In related news, Zambian sustainable energy company GEI Power and Turkish developer YEO recently announced the construction of a 60 MW solar plant with a 20 MWh battery energy storage system in southern Zambia, indicating a growing trend towards renewable energy development
