…and advances to 25% completionIn
the heat of October in Western Zambia, a group of around 20-30 men are digging trenches, hoisting cables or tightening bolts across parts of 40 hectares of cleared land.The space is an active construction site for the upcoming 10 megawatts (MW) Mwandi solar plant in Mwandi District of Western Province.
It’s the first ever undertaking of this kind, whose impact goes beyond the anticipated electrification of an area that has struggled with electricity since the country was born. Clement Lisita is among the estimated 100 locals engaged to work on the site.
He describes the solar project—an US $8 million joint venture of Lunzua Power Company and Valinor Investments—as having elevated his family’s living standards and provided him with a sense of dignity in a place with limited employment opportunities.
“I am very happy to be here because I have found something better for my family as they are benefiting through this investment. We are also very happy for the people we are working with because they are also benefiting.
We are grateful to Lunzua, Thebe and SANY because establishing this solar plant has benefited the local community,” Mr. Lisita said.Since Zambia’s independence, Western Province has lacked a reliable and sustainable source of power capable of supporting Mwandi’s estimated 40,000 residents.
The absence of a consistent and reliable power supply has constrained growth in aquaculture, livestock farming, and value addition, which rank among the area’s key economic sectors.The consequence is job and income scarcity, which fuel poverty as meaningful employment is hard to come by.
According to the 2022 Living Conditions Monitoring Survey, published by the Zambia Statistics Agency, poverty in Western Province was rated at 78.6% – approximately 79 out of every 100 people lived below the poverty line – making it the second-poorest province in Zambia, after Muchinga.
Now hope is lighting up Mwandi District, as construction of the 10MW solar plant in Mwilima area advances, with workers, who are among the first line of beneficiaries, reporting positive impact on the quality of their lives and other residents.In interviews at the project site, various workers applauded the project for the positive effect it has already had and for giving hope to an area that for more than 62 years has had no such development.
Terry Sampaya, bemoaned the high levels of unemployment in the area, now being slowly remedied by new investments such as this new Lunzua-Valinor power project.“I work as a supervisor here and I am happy to share that my whole family has benefited as a result of my employment during the construction of this solar plant. Most people around here in Mwandi are looking for jobs, so I can consider myself lucky to be one of the few to be employed,” Mr. Sampaya said.He proceeded to look beyond himself. “Our appeal to other investors is to establish new projects in other areas for other local communities to benefit.
”The project officially broke ground on 22 August 2026 as the first phase of the 20MW Mwandi Solar Plant, a mid-scale generation asset. Once operational, the plant will support Western Province’s inroads into becoming a hub of industrial and economic activity, unlocking opportunities in agriculture, livestock, fish farming and value addition, while improving livelihoods.
A recent site visit by a combined team of Lunzua and Valinor officials found that the project has steadily advanced to around 25% completion and remains on course for commissioning in the first quarter of 2027. The construction workers have overwhelmingly welcomed the development for positively impacting the local community through increased income earned and the indirect job opportunities created therefrom.
Meanwhile, Lunzua’s Project Manager – Renewables Development, Shadrick Katawa, expressed satisfaction with the quality of work undertaken so far.
“This being the first renewable power generation project in Mwandi, we are happy with the quality of works executed on site so far, and remain quite optimistic of commissioning the project between January and February, 2027.
The project contractor, SANY International Zambia, has worked to our expectation and we look forward to commissioning soon,” said Katawa.The project scope comprises the construction of a 10MWac (11MWp) solar photovoltaic plant, a 33kV collector substation and an associated ancillary office building.
The plant will connect to the Simungoma substation through a 15.3km 33kV overhead line, which will be constructed by Lusitu Transmission and Distribution Company, as associate of co-developer Lunzua Power under the Exergy Energy umbrella.Once complete, the plant will have an installed capacity of 11 megawatt-peak (MWp) or 10 megawatt-alternating current (MWac) and generate approximately 22 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year, enough to supply around 4,600 homes.
Solar, including mini-grids and home systems, extend electricity access where grid extension is not viable, contributing to raising national access to about 53.6%, of which urban access is at 80.3% and rural access at 34.9%. Rural solar is the fastest route to closing that gap, and through this project, Lunzua is supporting the government’s rural electrification goals and meet universal electricity access targets.
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