Innovative Solutions For Power Generation In Zimbabwe

As Zimbabwe experiences power shortages, the solution lies in the adaptation of renewable energy. There are several sources of renewable power such as solar, thermal, hydro, wind and gas that can be used as an alternative. Notable is the Honde Valley district, whose power, through the mini-grid system, takes advantage of abundant water in that part of the country. The district has several mini-grid schemes that have changed the lives of residents in the area. Nyangani Renewable Energy (NRE) is a prominent player in the generation of renewable energy in Honde Valley.

NRE’s innovative approach has seen the national grid being supplemented and better access to reliable electricity has been recorded. This includes every local school being connected to consistent power and rural development goals are being achieved.

Recent reports say that the NRE initiative generates more than 30 megawatts

(MW) that goes to easing the national challenge. The Honde Valley scheme is a good example of how Zimbabwe can deal with the ongoing power crisis. Though costly, private investment is key to scaling up and accelerating the deployment of renewable energy minigrids.

The

Mini-Grid Market Opportunity Assessment Report for Zimbabwe (December 2018) says that there were about 25 IPPs (Independent Power Producers) that have been licenced, and whose projects were still to be implemented. The report further stated: “IPPs have faced significant barriers to participating in the power sector due to lack of clarity over-regulation and a lack of incentives, together with a high offtake risk for independent generators. Given the anticipated surge in demand for electricity, consistent with the growth trajectory expected under the new economic dispensation, investment in power generation projects such as small hydro and solar plants has been recognised by Government as critical.” Zimbabwe recently unveiled the Renewable Energy Policy that is expected to help IPPs manage the above-mentioned obstacles.

Local and international organisations participating in remote small hydropower schemes have the potential to boost the interest of independent players towards the expansion of IPPs connected to the national grid. More players ranging from policymakers to developers are demonstrating a willingness to work towards achieving hydropower efficiency.

Mini-grids hold great potential to boost electricity access, power households, key social services such as health centres and schools, and businesses, driving economic growth. UNDP modelling estimates that mini-grids will be the lowest-cost approach to bring electricity to 265 million people in 21 countries including Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Eswatini and Sudan by the year 2030.

$65 billion in new investments, primarily from the private sector, would be needed to realise the mini-grid opportunity in certain parts of Africa. This is estimated to equate to the construction of 110,000 mini-grids, bringing electricity to more than 200,000 schools and clinics, and more than 900,000 businesses.

Historically, there have been some innovative power solutions in Zimbabwe, notably championed by the award-winning bio-ecological development proponent and innovative designer of Harare’s iconic Eastgate Centre, Mick Pearce, who said in an online interview: “The only form of energy which does not run out is the sun, and it is delivered to everywhere in Zimbabwe, so if you can harvest it during the day, you can do that on rooftops where it is needed. This saves transmission costs and energy losses (sometimes as much as 30%). The other huge advantage is speed. PV panels and the gear including batteries can be placed in the shortest time of all other sources of power production.

Batteries are a big expense and an absolute necessity. We should be following the exciting news about alternatives to lithium ion and there are many being invented; like the arms race in the 70’s. With rooftop power stations, we need to follow the example of countries like Bangladesh where they have mini-grids.

Each mini-power station is interconnected so they have in the delta region, moved away from centralised power production to mini-grid networks. This saves storage and therefore batteries. Once you have a mini-grid in which most people are producers and every form of power generation can feed into it you can begin to achieve continuous power supply. In Zimbabwe, we have enough power at night but not nearly enough power during the day. This means we need to go for the solar big time”, he said.

Energy and Power Insider magazine also spoke to Francis Xavier Chitanda, the founder and CEO of Intergas, a specialist in off-grid energy and part of Intercontinent Energy, who are committed to improving how energy is distributed and consumed in Africa. Chitanda spent a good part of his career as an accountant in the financial services industry working in the UK, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong and Singapore. Upon returning home in 2016 he decided to quit his finance career to start Intergas which focuses on energy innovation centred on gas as a key driver of clean and reliable energy provision. Intergas has worked with SAZ and ZERA to champion the adoption of new energy technologies.

We spoke to Chitanda for more insight.

Zimbabwe is currently experiencing power shortages. What alternative power solutions do you recommend?

Indeed, it is a fact that the country is in a dire power crisis for some reasons, which are well documented. It is thus quite clear that, as a nation, we need to prioritise the adoption of captive power solutions particularly targeted towards high consumption sectors of the economy such as manufacturing and mining. We must start exploring the right mix of energy sources to produce sustainable power supplies. In addition, a mindset shift by corporate decision-makers would be helpful. Practices such as private importation of power (via the ZETDC infrastructure) may not be sustainable for the nation. Homegrown and sustainable solutions are the only way forward.

A hybrid solution mixing renewable photovoltaic (“PV”) plants and “Gas to Power” could be a viable option. Solar PV is a cost-effective way of producing power. However, the cost of power storage when the sun is no longer shining can be expensive. To mitigate this, a hybrid solution could be utilised, whereby adding a micro gas turbine to the Solar PV plant would support the power generation process for the night hours and rainy seasons. Our calculations show that gas-fired turbines using Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) could reduce the cost of power by 30 to 45 per cent, compared to using diesel generators. To enhance this cost reduction even further, LPG could be replaced by cheaper forms of gas such as Biogas or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Biogas can easily be produced using biodigestors from local animal farm waste and food waste. The gas turbines can range in capacity from 65kva upwards and do not have the weaknesses that diesel generators have, such as needing regular maintenance and daily downtime.

A gas turbine can operate non-stop and requires very little maintenance. Tariff for gas-produced electricity starts from 16c per kWh upwards depending on the quantum of power produced. A mix of the gas power tariff with the cheaper renewables tariff will bring down the average cost of electricity to approximately 15c per kWh. Although the captive power solutions will cost more than the heavily subsidised ZETDC electricity, they will be a more reliable and sustainable source of power. Investment in this solution is readily available subject to terms and conditions. If the heavy consumers of power in the economy adopt the captive solutions, which have fewer regulatory and licencing requirements and the grid will have enough capacity for essential services like hospitals, schools and households.

Tell us how alternative power solutions are helping residential areas.

For our customers in the residential sector, we have been successfully able to diversify the energy mix between electricity and gas. You will find that the biggest uses of electricity in a home are cooking and water heating. We have put these on LPG by installing gas geysers and gas stoves. At Aspindale Park our customers are not affected as much by the power cuts because the residual household appliances such as entertainment systems, lighting and fridge are covered by the solar system. This also reduces the need for households to invest in big solar systems which are currently unaffordable for many. We have efficiently managed to implement this system on larger residential developments through the introduction of metered estates which use LPG sourced from a communal gas tank shared by a cluster of houses piped through smart meters to monitor usage and facilitate payments. The smart meters are similar, in technology, to those deployed by ZETDC for electricity.

This has made gas conveniently available and households use mobile money to purchase gas at any time through their smart meters rather than having to go outside their homes carrying heavy cylinders to look for gas. Our customers at Aspindale Park and other developments have benefited greatly from the convenience provided to them through this system.

You were the first to introduce a gas-powered car in Zimbabwe. Tell us the benefits of this type of car.

Autogas is a term used for LPG use in the automotive industry to power automotive engines. The Autogas technology has been around for close to a century now with the first conversion having been done in 1939 by Italian automotive giant, Tatarini Auto. The technology has improved tremendously over the years with over 25 million vehicles worldwide currently running on Autogas. Autogas comes with numerous benefits for Zimbabwe, from an economic as well as an environmental perspective with significant savings accruing to fleet and vehicle owners.

As a form of fuel, Autogas is very safe and reliable. In Zimbabwe, the safety of any form of fuel is seen by its eventual adoption for household use. Take for instance paraffin which was and still is being used for cooking at the household level. The same can be said about gas today with most urban households now moving towards having gas stoves, lighters, water heaters, space heaters and even gas fireplaces in homes. This is evidence that the general population is getting more comfortable with the domestic use of gas. Autogas is a safer fuel compared to petrol when used properly. This is because petrol is more volatile, with an ignition point of 246 Degrees Celsius compared to that of LPG at 470 Degrees Celsius.

What this means is, petrol is more likely to cause a fire than gas. Autogas is a huge cost saver. It can save a petrol engine user 50% of their fuel bill and 35% for a diesel engine vehicle.

Imagine the cost-saving impact for the transport industry particularly for long haul fleet managers, taxi companies etc.

Return of investment for converting a vehicle to Autogas can be realised in 3 to 8 months, but savings are realised immediately from the date of conversion.

What are the challenges to implementing these innovative energy solutions?

The biggest challenge we face is the customer’s perception of gas as being dangerous. We, however, have been fortunate enough to have a regulator (ZERA) that supports innovation. 4 years ago, when we started our company, Intergas, there were no regulations for the adoption of captive power solutions above 100kva but now these regulations exist, thanks to the support of ZERA. In addition, there was no regulation on the implementation of LPG microgrids but now we have a standard and a law that will be implemented soon. The law even covers how to regulate retro-fitting gas microgrids into existing homes and buildings. Autogas was unheard of but now there is interest across the board from public and private players keen on considering it for the fuel cost-saving benefit.

Another massive challenge we have is that our industry is capital intensive and it is currently very difficult to get the right type of long-term investment we need especially for an industry still in its infancy (“greenfield”). Setting up the distribution chain requires a huge investment. But this is doable, as the legal and regulatory environment has improved greatly over the last 4 years, thanks to ZERA’s stance on the adoption of new technologies to enhance our energy mix.