In a landmark move for Southern Africa’s energy landscape, the Zambian Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Longi Solar Technology and Sino Green Technology to develop 1,000MW (1GW) of cumulative solar capacity. This agreement, signed through the Ministry of Energy, marks a significant acceleration of Zambia’s clean energy programme and its transition toward a sustainable, climate-resilient power grid.
The agreement was formalised by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary for Electricity, Engineer Arnold Simwaba, and Mr. James Jin, President of Longi Solar for the Middle East and Africa (MENA) region. The partnership follows President Hakainde Hichilema’s official visit to China in 2025, which laid the strategic groundwork for deeper African solar investments and cooperation with Chinese solar companies in Africa.
Technical Rollout and Pilot Project
The ambitious 1GW pipeline will begin with a 100MW pilot solar farm in the Itezhi Tezhi District, with construction scheduled to commence in April 2026. A key feature of this deal is the rapid implementation framework; each solar farm in Zambia developed under this partnership is expected to be completed within a remarkably short eight to ten month window.
Longi Solar’s role is already well-established in the nation’s supply chain. In 2025, Zambia imported solar panels from China with a total capacity of 500MW, of which 300MW were manufactured by Longi Solar. This existing footprint provides a strong foundation for the new utility-scale solar projects intended to bolster national energy security.
Diversifying the Energy Mix
The push for solar capacity in Zambia is a direct response to the vulnerabilities of the country’s hydropower assets, which accounted for approximately 90% of electricity generation in 2023. Climate-driven droughts have frequently lowered water levels at the Kariba and Kafue Gorge dams, resulting in nationwide load shedding.
By spreading utility-scale solar Africa projects across various provinces, the government aims to decentralise power production. This strategy is complemented by the Presidential Constituency Energy Initiative, a separate 312MW project aiming to install 2MW solar plants in every constituency to ensure that development becomes local and resilient.
The Ministry of Energy has urged Longi and Sino Green to fast-track these projects to address ongoing energy deficits. Beyond generation, these Longi Solar Africa projects are expected to stimulate local economies by creating jobs for welders, technicians, and contractors, while providing local councils with new revenue streams through electricity sales to ZESCO.
The Presidential Constituency Energy Initiative, which aims to install a 2MW solar plant in each of Zambia’s 156 constituencies, is financed through a unique multi-partner equity model and a structured management framework involving several government ministries and investment entities.
Financing Model
The total cost for the national rollout is estimated at 4.6 billion Kwacha. To launch the initiative, the government has already released 2.3 billion Kwacha (approximately $100 million) as initial equity. This financing is a blend of two primary sources:
- Constituency Development Fund (CDF): Roughly 920 million Kwacha is sourced from the CDF, specifically utilizing the fund’s loan and disaster components. The 2026 CDF was restructured to release about 826 million Kwacha to meet this obligation.
- ZCCM Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH): The remaining 1.38 billion Kwacha of the initial equity is provided as a contribution from ZCCM-IH.
Each constituency is expected to contribute approximately 5.9 million Kwacha towards its respective project. Critically, only about 603,000 Kwacha of this amount is drawn from community project allocations, ensuring that existing developments such as maternity wards, schools, and clinics are not disrupted or cancelled.
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Management and Oversight
To ensure accountability and technical standards, the government has established a four-tier management structure:
- Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV): A formal legal structure has been created involving the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Local Government, and ZCCM-IH to manage financial accountability and long-term sustainability.
- Dedicated Project Management Unit (PMU): A specialised team has been established to specifically coordinate and accelerate the deployment of these solar farms, preventing a “disorganised” rollout.
- Ministry of Energy: This ministry acts as the technical project manager, overseeing engineering standards, technical oversight, inspections, and timelines through its relevant agencies.
- Private Sector Participation: Private companies and development partners will be brought on board to provide additional technical expertise and wider resource pooling.
Operational Strategy and Revenue
The implementation strategy focuses on speed and cost-efficiency by utilizing existing power substations and connection points wherever possible. This approach allows for an aggressive timeline, with expectations that the first systems will be visible within four months of commencement.
Once operational, the solar plants will function as a decentralised energy model, selling electricity to ZESCO. The revenue generated from these sales will be paid back to the local councils as dividends based on their equity contribution, creating a new, sustainable income stream for constituencies to improve local public services.
By Thuita Gatero, Managing Editor, Africa Digest News. He specializes in conversations around data centers, AI, cloud infrastructure, and energy.
