Choma Solar Power Station

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Choma Solar Power Station
Choma Solar Power Station
Country Zambia
Location Choma, Choma District, Southern Province, Zambia
Coordinates 16°46′30″S27°01′48″E / 16.77500°S 27.03000°E / -16.77500; 27.03000
StatusProposed
Construction beganJune 2024 Expected
Commission date September 2025 Expected
Construction costUS$ 65 million
Owner(s)Choma Solar Power Plant Limited,
Operator(s)Choma Solar Power Plant Limited,
Solar farm
Type Flat-panel PV
Power generation
Nameplate capacity 60 MW (80,000 hp) + 20 MWh
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The Choma Solar Power Station is a solar power plant, under development in Zambia, with generation capacity of 60 megawatts and an attached 20 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). The privately owned solar farm is being developed by a joint venture company, comprising "YEO Teknoloji Enerji ve Endustri AS" (YEO), a Turkish energy company and "GEI Power Limited", a Zambian independent power producer (IPP). The off-taker is ZESCO (Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited), the national electricity utility, under a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA). [1] [2]

Contents

Location

The power station would located in Choma District, in the Southern Province of Zambia. Choma, the district headquarters is located approximately 285 kilometres (177 mi), southwest of Lusaka, the national capital and the largest city in the country. [3]

Overview

This solar farm is the first grid-ready photovoltaic solar installation with an attached BESS in the country. The design calls for a ground-mounted solar panel layout, with maximum generation capacity of 60 megawatts. An attached 20 MWh BESS, based on lithium-battery technology will be incorporated in the design to allow the station to supply power even when sun is not up. [1] [2]

Developers

The developers/owners of this power station have formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) company to own, design, develop, construct, operate and maintain this power station. The name of the SPV company is Choma Solar Power Plant Limited. The ownership of the SPV company is as outlined in the table below. [4]

Choma Solar Power Plant Limited Ownership
RankShareholderDomicileNotes
1YEO Teknoloji Enerji ve Endustri AS Turkey [4]
2GEI Power Limited Zambia [4]

Construction costs and timeline

The construction costs for the power station are reported as US$65 million. Construction is expected to begin in 2024, with commercial commissioning expected in September 2025. As of May 2024, the necessary feasibility, grid impact and environmental impact assessment studies had been concluded. [1] [2]

Other considerations

As of April 2024, Zambia had installed generation capacity of 3,030 MW, of which 2,393 MW (79 percent) was derived from hydroelectric sources. Due to severe drought in the sub-region in recent months, the river levels are low and Zambian electricity output is low. [5] As of February 2024, Zambia was grappling with a 500 MW deficit in electricity supply. [6] This solar farm is expected to help to partially mitigate that shortage. [1] [2]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Cameron Murray (7 May 2024). "Developer GEI and EPC firm YEO launching solar-plus-storage project in Zambia with 20MWh BESS". Energy Storage News. London, United Kingdom. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Pooja Chandak (8 May 2024). "Zambia-Turkey Partnership Sparks Sustainable Energy Revolution: GEI Power And YEO To Develop US$65 Million Solar PV Plant". Solar Quarter. Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  3. ↑ Google (8 May 2024). "Road Distance Between Lusaka, Zambia And Choma, Zambia" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 Jean Marie Takouleu (8 May 2024). "Turkey's Yeo to invest $65m in a solar power plant with storage in Zambia". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France.
  5. ↑ Jean Marie Takouleu (22 April 2024). "Electricity: solar photovoltaic fever ramps up in Zambia". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
  6. ↑ Chris Mfula (29 February 2024). "Zambia plans to import and ration electricity due to drought". Reuters.com . Retrieved 8 May 2024.
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