Excess Solar milling plant power to benefit

JOHN KOMBE writes THE Rural Electrification Authority (REA) will electrify communities with excess solar energy from the Presidential Solar Milling plants dotted across the country, Rural Electrification Authority (REA), Chief Executive Officer, Clement Silavwe has said. Mr. Silavwe disclosed this when he addressed the media during a visit to Shansha multi-purpose cooperative in Chongwe where the project will be piloted. He revealed that the authority would carry out the project in collaboration with Zambia Cooperative Federation (ZCF)  who were the custodians of the solar milling plants installed in 1, 580 locations across the country.  He said that in its quest to increase access to electricity in rural communities, REA had continued to explore various avenues that would enable the authority to reach out to its targeted population. He was delighted to note that this project was one such avenue.  Mr. Silavwe disclosed that the joint project would benefit communities that are located around the solar milling plants. He observed that, the solar milling plants had excess solar energy which was currently going to waste. He said that it was this excess power that the project would take advantage of to electrify households, public institutions and business centres in the areas where the plants are located. He also disclosed that the project shall develop site-specific technical solutions designs to ensure proper utilization of excess solar energy in areas where the construction of distribution lines was not the best solution. Mr. Silavwe further revealed that the project began with a study to ascertain the status of the communities around the solar milling plants. He said that the study was a success and its findings will be taken on board during the implementation of the project. He therefore said that the project would be piloted in Kampekete area in Chongwe where Shansha Multi-purpose cooperative Solar milling plant was located. And in an interview, Chongwe district commissioner, Mr. Robster Mwanza observed that the project would help to improve the life in the rural areas. He disclosed that the pilot project would benefit over 50 households in Kampekete area in Chongwe.  He thanked REA and ZCF for electing to use Chongwe as a site for the pilot project. He said that tis just goes to show the confidence that the partnership places in the people of Chongwe. He further appealed to the local community to support the project because it was intended to benefit them. The Sun