Zambia Industrial Energy Saving and Storage Equipment Manufacturer

For German and European service providers active in the energy sector, Zambia presents significant potential for business development. There are clear needs across the solar energy and storage value chain, including pro-ject development and financing, equipment manufacturing, system inte-gration and contracting.

Private companies also trade in electricity in Zambia. The largest of these, Copperbelt Energy Corporation Plc (CEC), buys electricity primarily from ZESCO and sells it to the various mines in the Copperbelt Province. It also operates its own generators, most of which run on fossil fuels.

The 2020 Labour Force Survey states that the manufacturing sector accounts for 27% of formal employment in Zambia. Manufacturing industries (including agro-processing industries discussed above) are mainly located in the Lusaka and Copperbelt Provinces.

Africa Clean Energy Technical Assistance Facility. (2022). Customs Handbook for Solar PV Products in Zambia. Bloomberg New Energy Finance. (2022, December 6). Lithium-ion Battery Pack Prices Rise for First Time to an Average of $151/kWh.

Agriculture contributes about 19% to Zambia's GDP and employs at least 75% of the population (Zam-Stats, 2022). Domestic production comprises crops such as maize, sorghum, millet and cassava, while exports are largely driven by sugar, soya beans, coffee, groundnut, rice and cotton as well as floriculture and horticulture.

In that case, the PV production is used to reduce the electricity bill and/ or the diesel fuel bill. As of 2022, the cost of diesel in Zambia was around USD 1.5/litre (Global Petrol Prices, sd) and the efficiency of a generator varies between 25% and 35% if operated at at least 30% of its capacity (Skyllas-Ka-zacos, 2012).