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. 

NB - This article was published in Zambia Daily Mail newspaper on 7th December, 2022.