KEY POINTS
- ZimGreenCo and Dolcin Trading signed a 25-year deal for a solar plant.
- The 50-megawatt plant near Chegutu will rank among Zimbabwe’s largest solar facilities.
- The agreement tests an open-access market that lets private power reach big users.
Zimbabwe has taken a big step toward cleaner power.
ZimGreenCo and Dolcin Trading signed a 25-year power purchase agreement this week. The deal clears the way for a major solar plant in Mashonaland West Province. The two sides sealed it at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town.
The plant will sit near Chegutu. It will produce 50 megawatts of solar power. South African firm Sigma Solar Africa is developing the project. Once built, it will rank among Zimbabwe’s largest grid-connected solar facilities.
Under the deal, ZimGreenCo will buy the plant’s electricity. It will then sell that power to large energy users across Zimbabwe. The arrangement should lift supply and support businesses.
How the deal works
The agreement builds on a 2024 systems operations deal. ZimGreenCo Power Services signed that pact with the state grid company, ZETDC. The earlier deal lets private producers send power through the national grid. ZimGreenCo pays ZETDC for those system services.
Managing director Lion Mashiri said partnerships hold the key to Zimbabwe’s energy future. He said the country cannot rely on the public purse alone.
“This agreement shows that an open access regime can work in practice: a privately developed solar plant, a creditworthy offtaker and the national utility each playing their part,” Mashiri said.
He said the model can be copied across the country. He said it brings new renewable power onto the grid and serves the big users who drive the economy.
Why it matters for investors
A long contract gives the project financial footing. Dolcin Trading needs that certainty to attract lenders and start construction.
Gareth P. Warner, a director at Dolcin Trading, said a creditworthy buyer makes the plant bankable. He said the 25-year term gives investors confidence.
“GreenCo’s structure gives our investors and lenders the long-term revenue certainty they need, and allows the Dolcin Trading plant to advance towards construction and the delivery of clean power to Zimbabwean consumers,” Warner said.
The deal lands as Zimbabwe chases more renewable investment. The country faces ongoing electricity shortages. It wants to widen its energy mix and lean less on aging plants.
Energy experts say independent power producers will matter more in the years ahead. They point to solar as a fast and flexible option. Demand keeps climbing, and the grid needs fresh supply.
Once finished, the plant should add real capacity to the national grid. It will serve industrial users and support wider growth. Officials cast the project as proof that private power can deliver.
