Mpanta Solar Power Improves Lives
By Linda Mupemo
Some grass thatched houses connected to Mpanta solar mini grid - Picture by Linda Mupemo |
As
the sun kisses the horizon giving birth to dawn, Damiano Bupe emerges in his
boat on the shore of Chibesa -Wa- Mpanta.
Chibesa-Wa-Mpanta
is at the furthest end of Mpanta village, a point where Lake Bangweulu tilts
and drains into a channel later called Luapula River. The village is in Samfya
District in Luapula Province, located 50 kilometers away from the Central
Business District.
Going
by the quantity of fish Mr. Bupe catches, the night was gracious to him.
His
harvest is so evident to the eager fish traders who unreservedly swam around
him with intent to get the freshest fish for sale.
At
home, Mr. Bupe has ice blocks in a deep freezer which he later sells to his out
of town customers to enable them keep the commodity fresh as they journey back
to their destination.
This
is possible because for seven years now, the Rural Electrification
Authority (REA) in collaboration with Kafita Multipurpose Cooperative have been
running a 60 kilowatt solar mini grid which has seen Mpanta access
electricity.
Fishing
is the major economic activity in the area and the availability of electricity
has enhanced the trade.
Mr.
Bupe recalls that before Mpanta was connected to the solar mini grid,
preserving fish was a challenge.
"On
days I had a huge catch and fewer customers for fresh fish, the fish used
to go bad. I used to make losses. But I am now able to preserve it in a
refrigerator," Mr. Bupe says.
He
adds that electricity has made him reduce cutting down trees to be used as
firewood for smoking fish since he also relies on freezing as a preservation
method.
Suffice
to say the supply of electricity in Mpanta is helping lower levels of
deforestation in the area as most fishermen have switched to green energy as
means of preserving their commodity.
A
little over a hundred meters away from the habour is Mpanta Primary School
which is also a beneficiary of Mpanta Solar Mini Grid project.
Samfya
District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) Denis Mukunta says the availability
of electricity has enhanced the quality of education offered at the learning
institution.
Mr.
Mukunta says teachers are now delivering practical lessons in subjects such as
Computer Studies with ease since the learning institution was connected to
electricity.
He
adds that the performance of learners at the school has improved as they have
extended hours of studying after class hours.
Mr.
Mukunta says the introduction of the free education policy in schools has
increased the enrolment rate of learners which has resulted in the institution
having limited learning space.
"We
have over 700 learners against three classroom blocks. To accommodate all the
classes, our sessions go late into the afternoon hence electricity is coming in
handy when it comes to lighting the classrooms," he says.
Pupils at Mpanta Primary School having practical computer lessons |
Maureen
Malekano, a Grade Nine Pupil at the institution says being able to do practical
computer studies has enhanced her Information Communication Technology (ICT)
skills.
"I
know how to type, print and do all computer related stuff. These are skills I
will be able to use in the industry when I complete my grade twelve," she
confidently says.
To
the health sector, being connected to the solar energy grid has improved the
provision of health care services.
Acting
Samfya District Health Director Zaccheus Lungu says the connection of Mpanta
Rural Health Center to the solar mini grid has improved the delivery of health
care services at the facility.
The facility has a catchment population of over 5,000.
Mr.
Lungu says the provision of electricity has reduced home deliveries and
enhanced maternal care services offered.
He
recollects that expectant mothers were previously required to carry their own
source of lighting such as lumps or torches.
"Providing
their own lighting system used to put some expectant mothers off hence they
preferred to deliver from home. This exposed them to untold dangers including
maternal deaths," he says.
However,
Mr. Lungu observes that more expectant women now flock to the health center to
seek medical attention as they deliver their babies.
He
adds that the availability of electricity is also enabling health care providers
sustain the storage of medical commodities such as vaccines.
REA
Corporate Affairs Manager Justin Mukosa says Mpanta Solar Mini Grid was
commissioned in 2015 with 90 percent of beneficiaries having been grass
thatched houses.
The
solar plant taps the radiation of the sun and converts it into electricity.
Mr
Mukosa says the project which was implemented at a cost of K 7.8 million has
seen over 400 households, a school, a rural health centre, a market, churches
and the habour connected to electricity.
With
the lowest electricity bill pegged at K 30 per month for a three-room house to
the highest being K 70 for a seven-room house, the community is enjoying
affordable energy.
In
addition, institutions such as Mpanta Primary School are charged K 50 while
staff houses for public service workers in the area attract K 100 on a monthly
basis.
Mr.
Mukosa says the solar energy plant is managed by the local Kafita
Multipurpose Cooperative.
He
explains that off-grid projects such as solar mini grids are the best
alternative sources of electricity in far flung areas which are distant
from the national power grid.
Noteworthy
is that increasing access to electricity in rural areas is part of the Rural
Electrification Master Plan (REMP) which targets to upscale access from the
current 8.4 percent to 51 percent by 2030.
Mr
Mukosa adds that REA is working with the Zambia Cooperative Federation
(ZCF) to tap into the excess power generated by solar milling plants dotted
across the country.
He
says REA and ZCF signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), adding that they
are currently doing a pilot project in Chongwe District where electricity is
being generated from solar energy.
"Only
half of the 15 kilowatts generated by solar milling plants is utilised for
milling purposes. We want to tap into this excess power. When resources are
available, we will roll out the initiative to other parts of the country,"
he says.
Mr.
Mukosa notes that solar energy is a reliable alternative source of energy which
is in line with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number Seven whose focus is
universal provision of clean, reliable and affordable energy.
Part
2 of SDG seven targets reads, “By 2030, increase substantially the share of
renewable energy in the global energy mix."
Luapula
Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Emmanuel Munsanje describes
the Mpanta Solar Mini Grid project as a step in the right direction regarding
promoting green and clean energy consumption practices.
Mr.
Munsanje says renewable energy is a choicest source of electricity as it does
not produce carbon emissions.
Mr.
Munsanje wants government to allocate more funds to renewable energy
projects in a bid to increase access to electricity in an environmentally -
friendly manner.
“This
project is a game changer in the energy sector. We need more of such
sustainable developmental projects, projects which neither harm the environment
nor contribute to global warming," he says.
If
the weather patterns experienced in the country are anything to go by, Zambia
has a huge potential to generate solar energy as it enjoys long periods of
sunshine.
As
Zambia joins the rest of the world in reducing carbon emissions, investing in
renewable energy such as solar is one of the promising solutions.
It
is hoped that government and its cooperating partners will continue to allocate
more funds to renewable energy projects so as to eradicate energy deficits in
the country while at the same promoting environmental protection.
This article was published in Zambia Daily Mail newspaper on 7th December, 2022.
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