Accelerating Energy Access Through Public-Private Partnership Investment in Zambia

Abstract

Zambia has abundant renewable energy resources which could provide basic energy services to over 16 million Zambian citizens. Despite that only 25% of the population in Zambia have access to electricity and clean cooking facilities. This has led to a continued large scale usage of wood energy causing a strain on forestry stock. Further the country’s largest renewable energy generation potential exists through solar and hydro power. Although, Government efforts to invest in the solar and hydro energy sector has been slow, so far less than 30% of the available (6000MW) hydro potential has been harnessed and solar PV has been installed only on about 400 households, several schools and Chief’s Palaces in various parts of the country. Zambia aims to reach an electrification rate of 90% in urban and 51% in rural areas through its vision 2030. This will technically require policies and regulatory that build capacity for both public and private sector partnership with specific regard to promoting renewables energies. Therefore this paper seeks to address energy issue of access in Zambia and highlight the policy issues to harmonize the partnership of public and private sector investments in solving energy concern. This is done through an overview of the energy sector, review of the energy policies and private sector investments.