Official figures from Zambia’s Ministry of Energy confirm the country’s solar capacity now stands in excess of 1 GW, up from 178 MW in 2024.
Zambia’s cumulative solar capacity has surpassed 1 GW, according to figures published by the country’s Ministry of Energy.
Details on the ministry’s website confirm total solar capacity has risen from 178 MW in 2024 to 1,027 MW as of early October.
The milestone follows an update from early September which placed cumulative solar capacity at 841 MW. Additional projects have come online since, including the 100 MW Maamba solar energy project built by a subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Nava Limited.
Zambia is currently one of Africa’s most dynamic solar markets, in part down to an ongoing market liberalisation that is making it one of the most attractive markets to private sector renewable energy developers. Other large-scale projects switched on this year include the 136 MW Itimpi II PV plant. In July, state-owned utility ZESCO doubled the capacity of its Chisamba solar power plant from 100 MW to 200 MW.
With the 1 GW solar target met, Zambia now turns its attention towards its longer-term goal of reaching 10 GW of installed electricity generation capacity by 2031. The most recent figures published by the Ministry of Energy put the country’s current installed electricity generation capacity at 4,722 MW, a 52.3% increase since 2021.
Speaking during the opening of the 2026 Energy Week Exhibitions in the Zambian town of Kabwe last week, Ministry of Energy Permanent Secretary, Ephraim Munshifwa, said Zambia’s expansion in electricity generation facilities is a result of the government’s response to drought conditions that reduced water levels in major reservoirs and triggered severe load shedding.
Munshifwa said investments in power generation and strategic reforms were aimed at developing long-term energy security, while adding that the national grid is now meeting demand of households and industries.
During this month’s Energy Forum for Africa Conference in Zambian capital Lusaka, Acting Minister of Energy, Situmbeko Musokotwane, said Zambia currently has “several energy projects at different stages of development”. He also said he was confident the 10 GW target would be achieved through partnerships.
The ministry’s official figures for solar capacity covers grid-connected utility-scale solar plants and installations made under the country’s net-metering scheme, which stood at around 30 MW as of September this year.
The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) has tracked 1,336 MW of operational solar projects in Zambia, according to figures from its project database, 538 MW of which is classified as commercial and industrial projects. The database adds a further 1,619.7 MW of solar projects are under construction across the country.
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