Zambia: solar farm Zambezi Portland Cement

Zambezi Portland Cement has plans to establish a 5MW solar farm in Ndola, at a cost of US$7m. The company will be the first in Zambia's Copperbelt Province to produce electricity using solar energy. 

Operations Director, Daniele Ventriglia, said the company has submitted an Environment Project Plan (EPP) to the Zambian Environmental Management Authority (ZEMA) for consideration. According to Mr Ventriglia, more than 200 local people are expected to be employed through the project one it is completed.

"Solar energy is green energy and a very reliable source of energy. We decided to diversify our operations from cement to energy in order to complement the country with a reliable source of energy and create more jobs for the locals,” Mr Ventriglia said.

Zambezi Portland Cement has increased its cement production from around 1200tpd to 1800tpd.