The African Development Bank’s Board of Directors has approved a $14.54 million financing package to support the Garneton North 20-megawatt solar project in Zambia’s Copperbelt Province. This investment aims to accelerate the country’s renewable energy expansion and bridge its energy deficit. Once operational, the project will supply clean, reliable electricity to approximately 82,000 people while cutting 58,740 tons of CO₂ emissions annually.
The financing package includes $7.27 million from the Bank’s own resources and an equal concessional contribution from a Development Finance Institution. This initiative highlights the Bank’s strong commitment to narrowing Zambia’s energy gap and advancing the Mission 300 goal, which seeks to provide electricity access to 300 million Africans by 2030. Zambia, one of the first countries to launch national energy compacts under Mission 300 in early 2025, stands to benefit significantly from this investment.
With a total cost of $24.5 million, the project will involve the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the solar plant, which will connect to the national grid through a 10-kilometer, 33 kV transmission line. Under a 25-year take-or-pay Power Purchase Agreement, the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited will purchase all electricity generated. According to Wale Shonibare, Director of Energy Financial Solutions, Policy, and Regulation at the African Development Bank, the initiative marks a crucial step toward restoring investor confidence in Zambia’s energy sector and achieving the Mission 300 goals.
The Garneton North Solar Project is one of six renewable projects selected by the Zambian government under its Global Energy Transfer Feed-in Tariffs (GETFiT) programme. This initiative encourages private-sector investment in small- and medium-scale renewable energy projects. During construction, the project will employ 90 workers, including five women and 50 youth, and will provide 10 permanent operational jobs, with women and young people also represented. The project’s additional generation capacity will help reduce power outages and strengthen Zambia’s energy security.
Through the GETFiT programme, Zambia aims to procure a total of 120 MW of renewable energy capacity, diversify its power mix, and reaffirm the sector’s attractiveness to private investors. Jing Li, Division Manager for Energy Financial Solutions at the Bank, emphasized that the project demonstrates Zambia’s dedication to moving beyond hydropower dependence while improving reliability and affordability of electricity supply.
Aligned with the African Development Bank’s Ten-Year Strategy (2024–2033) and its New Deal on Energy for Africa, the Garneton North Solar Project supports the continent’s transition to low-carbon development and universal clean energy access. It also advances the Bank’s broader objectives on climate action, gender inclusion, youth employment, resilience, and private-sector-led renewable energy development under Mission 300.
