Why Zambia
A renewable energy market undergoing significant development.
The market in figures
Solar is scaling fast.
The Ministry of Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan identifies increasing electricity demand associated with mining, industry, agriculture, residential growth and other sectors, while projecting a substantial increase in generation capacity through 2030 and beyond.4
From 88 MW to 841 MW in five years.
841 MW
Installed solar PV capacity reported in 2026 — up from 88 MW in 2021.1
1,000 MW
Long-term national solar generation target, to be reached by 2036.
May 2026
Ministry of Energy publishes a competitive procurement framework for private renewable investment.3
Open access
Electricity can increasingly be bought, sold and wheeled between market participants.3
The market
Five structural drivers.
01
Energy diversification
Zambia's electricity system has historically been strongly dependent on hydropower.
The Government has been pursuing diversification toward solar and other non-hydro generation sources to strengthen resilience against hydrological and other supply risks.
02
Growing electricity demand
The Integrated Resource Plan projects significant growth in peak electricity demand as Zambia's economy develops.
The Plan identifies mining, agriculture, power exports, residential consumption and emerging electric transport as drivers of future demand.
03
Solar development
Solar generation has expanded substantially in Zambia. The Ministry of Energy reported installed solar PV capacity of approximately 841 MW in 2026, compared with 88 MW in 2021.
This growth demonstrates the increasing role of solar within Zambia's electricity sector — and that the market is active and competitive.
04
Industrial and mining economy
Zambia's mining and industrial sectors are important components of the economy and of electricity demand. The Integrated Resource Plan explicitly incorporates mining and industrial development into demand planning.
Q Energy Renewable is therefore exploring commercially appropriate opportunities for the project's electricity, including potential offtake arrangements, subject to negotiations and definitive agreements.
05
Private-sector opportunity
Zambia's electricity sector is increasingly incorporating independent power producers and private investment.
The Ministry of Energy has published frameworks intended to support private-sector investment in renewable energy, including a Competitive Procurement Framework for Private Sector Investment in Renewable Energy.
Why this matters for the project
A relevant market for structured utility-scale solar.
- Growing electricity requirements
- Energy diversification
- Renewable-energy expansion
- Industrial and mining demand
- Private-sector participation
Together these create a relevant market environment for the structured development of utility-scale solar projects.
Our position
We do not present Zambia as risk-free.
Successful project development requires careful assessment of each of the following. Our objective is to identify, assess and manage these issues during the development process.
- 1Grid capacity
- 2Offtake arrangements
- 3Tariff and revenue structure
- 4Regulatory requirements
- 5Environmental and social considerations
- 6Foreign-exchange considerations
- 7Financing conditions
- 8Construction costs
- 9Political and commercial risks
The opportunity
The 100 MW Zambia Solar Project is being developed within this broader market context — with the objective of establishing a commercially and technically robust project capable of attracting appropriate long-term investment.
Sources
- 1.Ministry of Energy, Republic of Zambia — electricity sector press briefing, as reported by pv magazine, 7 September 2026.
- 2.Ministry of Energy, Republic of Zambia — publications supporting private-sector participation in power projects.
- 3.pv magazine — “Zambia introduces new procurement approaches as solar interest booms”, 10 July 2026.
- 4.Ministry of Energy, Republic of Zambia — Integrated Resource Plan and downloads.
Contact the project team
Discuss the project with our development team.
We welcome enquiries from qualified investors, strategic partners, development-finance institutions, technical advisers and energy companies.