Delivering the keynote speech at the inaugural Commercial and Industrial (C&I) Energy + Storage Summit in Lusaka on Wednesday (27 August) on behalf of the Minister of Energy, Ziba said the event provided a “strategic platform” to shape a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive energy future for Zambia and the region.
In the keynote address, Ziba noted that the government’s diversification agenda, driven by growth in agriculture, mining, manufacturing and tourism, would push energy demand up by 121% by 2030.
“As a result, energy demand is expected to grow by 121% by 2030. Therefore, this growth in energy demand will require a 165% increase in generation capacity from 3.7GW in 2023 to 10GW by 2030 out of which renewable energy sources (solar and wind) are expected to grow from 3% in 2023 to 33% by 2030,” Ziba said.
“To make this happen, the government is creating an enabling environment in order to attract private sector participation,” Ziba said, citing reforms such as the open access framework, multi-year tariff framework, net metering and a single energy licensing system.