The unreliability of grid supply means that people in Zimbabwe are moving to solar power “out of necessity” rather than a choice to avoid fossil fuels, Chasakara says in Harare. Transport is among the biggest costs for an importer of equipment, and Chinese products may be much higher specification than what the local market needs, he says. “There is nothing to stop a Zimbabwean company such as ourselves” from moving into assembly and manufacturing.
State-owned power utility Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) often resorts to load shedding lasting for eight hours or more per day as the country grapples with a generation deficit. The two major sources of power in the country are the Kariba hydropower plant, which is constrained by low water levels, and the Hwange thermal power station, which often has breakdowns due to a lack of investment. ZESA aims to add new coal-fired
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