Energy.

Snapshot

• Installed capacity ~2,400 MW; effective output 1,200–1,400 MW vs peak demand 2,000+ MW.
• ZESA Holdings is the vertically-integrated utility: ZPC (generation), ZETDC (distribution).
• Import top-up from Eskom, ZESCO (Zambia), HCB (Mozambique); ~US$30 m/month bill.
• Tariffs: c.US$0.105/kWh (residential), c.US$0.135/kWh (commercial) — periodic reviews.

Generation mix

• Kariba South: 1,050 MW (hydro, Zambezi River; capacity-constrained by lake levels — derated to 350–700 MW in drought years).
• Hwange Power Station: 920 MW nameplate (units 1–6 old; Units 7 & 8 add 600 MW since 2023).
• Munyati, Bulawayo, Harare power stations: small coal, frequently offline.
• IPPs: ~30 licensed but only ~10 operating; total ~140 MW (mostly solar PV).

Renewable energy

• Solar irradiance: ~5.7 kWh/m²/day national avg → world-class.
• Notable solar IPPs:
  • Centragrid 25 MW (Nyabira) — commissioned 2022, first major grid-tied PV.
  • Riverside Energy 25 MW (Harare West) — under construction.
  • Harava Solar 20 MW — built and online.
  • Helio Africa, Distributed Power Africa (DPA, Econet group) — C&I rooftop solar.
• Wind: very limited resource; small pilot in Eastern Highlands.
• Biogas, biomass: small-scale rural; Triangle co-gen runs on bagasse (~45 MW).
• Mini-hydro: ~30 MW potential across Eastern Highlands.

Distributed / behind-the-meter

• Massive boom in commercial & industrial rooftop solar 2020–25 (load-shedding response).
• Estimated 200+ MW of behind-the-meter solar installed; not officially metered.
• Lithium-ion battery imports surged; CKD imports from China dominate.

Petroleum & gas

• All petroleum imported via Beira–Feruka pipeline (NOIC) and rail/road from RSA.
• Coal-bed methane (Lupane area) exploration in slow progress.
• LPG distribution: Class Energy, NOIC, Total, Engen, Puma, Zuva.

Profitability

Challenges

• ZETDC tariff insufficiency, currency mismatch in PPAs historically.
• Land / wayleaves for substations and lines.
• Import-substitution: most PV panels, inverters, batteries imported.
• Vandalism of transformers and copper cables.
• Long PPA approval timelines (often 18–30 months).
• Forex retention rules erode IPP returns.

Advantages

• Solar resource is world-class.
• C&I customer pull is enormous; willing to sign 5–10 yr USD PPAs.
• IPP regulatory framework: Net-metering and Renewable Energy Policy (2019, revised 2023).
• ZIDA fast-tracking IPP approvals via one-stop shop.
• Lithium beneficiation creates local battery feedstock by 2027.

Example companies

• ZESA Holdings / ZPC / ZETDC (state).
• Centragrid Power (IPP).
• Distributed Power Africa (DPA) — Econet group C&I solar.
• Sino-Hydro / Power China — EPC partners for Kariba & Hwange.
• Tatanga Energy — solar EPC.
• GREP / Helio Africa — solar developer.
• NOIC, IPG, Puma Energy, Zuva Petroleum — fuel.

Opportunity hooks

• C&I solar PPAs (5–10 yr USD-denominated) for mines, hotels, factories.
• Mini-grids and pay-as-you-go solar home systems for off-grid rural (1.5 m households).
• Battery assembly and recycling plant (downstream from lithium beneficiation).
• Solar irrigation kits financed via tobacco/horticulture off-take.
• Energy storage as a service (BESS leasing to ZETDC for grid stability).
• E-mobility pilot: battery-swap for last-mile e-bikes in Harare/Bulawayo.
• Cooking-fuel transition: LPG distribution + clean cooking carbon credits.