By Virginia Njovo
Rural Electrification Agency Zimbabwe (REA) is installing solar mini-grids in rural villages starting with Manicaland and Masvingo provinces as a way of adapting to climate change through environmental friendly energy sources.
The agency, through its ‘green village’ movement is also training communities in environmentally conscious practices to reduce waste, conserve resources as well as to promote eco-friendly habits.
Speaking with TellZim News, REA acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Felisters Makumbinde during the Public Procurement and Corporate Governance Conference organized by Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) at Clevers Resort in Masvingo recently said there were eight community mini-grids they would install.
Of these, they will install one per province and in Masvingo, it will be installed at Soti Sosi in Gutu District while in Manicaland it will be installed in Chipinge in the Hwakwata area.
“We had eight community mini grids and each province should get one. We did thorough piloting so as to locate the suitable station where we can put the power mini-grid in that community so that everyone benefits from generated power, from business centres to households.
“In Chipinge District we established a US$1.6 million 200 KW mini-grid power solar plant in Hwakwata village which is now fully operational and it is benefiting 108 households including Hwakwata Clinic and Primary School which has an approximate enrolment of 920 learners,” said Makumbinde.
Makumbinde added that they were also establishing another solar power plant mini grid in Gutu District, Masvingo Province at Soti Sosi where the number of beneficiaries is yet to be figured out.
“With the same mandate of establishing green villages where we want people in rural areas to experience urban setup lifestyle, we are establishing an approximately US$1.2 million mini grid in Gutu, Soti Sosi, with its construction currently underway,” said Makumbinde.
To complement the solar energy, biogas systems were established at ninety homesteads in Hwakwata where Makumbinde said it only needed six cows for for one to get a cowdung biogas digester system which is believed to produce clean gas leading to the reduction of air pollution as well as minimizing deforestation.
“In order complement solar power energy there is also another renewable energy which is biogas which is used by 90 households to cook in Hwakwata Village.
“The project is open to those who with six cows and above to come approach us, so we come and construct a clean gas system for you which is user friendly,” said Makumbinde.
