China Energy Engineering plans to build a 1,000 megawatt floating solar park in Zimbabwe's Kariba Dam, BTA reported, citing documents seen by the agency. The value of the project is close to 1 billion dollars.
Currently, the southern African country generates less than half of its electricity needs, amounting to about 1,700 megawatt hours.
This is due to the poor performance of aging coal-fired power plants, as well as low water levels in the dam, where a hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 1,050 megawatt hours has been built.
"China Energy" has submitted the proposal for the construction of the park to the state energy company of Zimbabwe and a private consortium of industrial users in the country.
It envisages the installation of 1.8 million solar panels worth $987 million.
They are building a solar park in the Chernobyl area
China Energy recently built two similar floating solar parks in China's Shandong province and in Thailand.
The first of two new 300-megawatt-hour coal-fired power plants built by Chinese companies went live in Zimbabwe last week.
However, the authorities in Harare are planning a transition to renewable energy sources and in December last year announced initiatives to build by 2025 solar power with a total capacity of 1,100 megawatt hours.
Zimbabwe
solar park