A new solar power plant powers progress in Zimbabwe's renewable energy sector
'It was disruptive,' says the 26-year-old from Angola, who is studying Education at Africa University, a United Methodist Church-related institution.
'You have an assignment due and you are still researching online and if the electricity goes off, you cannot meet the deadline.'
Lumboa is lucky not to have missed the deadline for any of his assignments, but most of his fellow students have been missing deadlines due to rolling power cuts.
A new solar mini-grid at AU, just outside Zimbabwe's third-largest city of Mutare, is changing the lives of students like Lumboa.
The 250 kilowatt solar power plant, officially commissioned on 6 June, has 590 solar panels, a 250 kilovolt inverter system and a 600 kilowatt-hour battery bank.
The lithium batteries have a lifespan of 25 years.
The system is providing uninterrupted power to the AU's main campus, including student hostels and laboratories.
'Annually, we had to spend a minimum of USD 216,000. That was our energy bill. Our maximum will be around USD 240,000. So, we will save around USD 240,000 per year,' says Professor Talon Garikayi, a deputy Vice Chancellor at AU, an engineer overseeing the solar power project.
In 2024, the southern African nation was hit by a punishing drought fueled by El Niño, a climate phenomenon that can worsen dry spells or storms, extreme weather events increasingly linked to climate change.
This led to a sharp drop in water levels in Lake Kariba, home to the country's main hydropower plant, which is shared with Zambia.
The authorities were forced to roll out load shedding schedules lasting for more than 18 hours.
Lake Kariba was generating less than 20 percent of its installed capacity of 1050 megawatts (MW) at the time.
In April 2024, the government declared the drought a national disaster—the worst in 40 years—which left more than half the population food insecure.
Institutions like AU had to turn to diesel-powered generators, which are expensive to run.
And students like Lumboa had to bear the brunt of load shedding at AU.
Reverend Alfiado Zunguza, AU Board of Directors chairperson, says this makes education expensive.
'We felt like it was critical to invest in this solar power plant to ensure the university continues to be reliable in its operations and its systems that are critical in advancing the knowledge of the continent,' he says.
'The university was spending USD 240,000 a year for electricity, making education expensive. So we want to reduce the cost of education at AU, making it more affordable to as many people as possible.'
He says in the long run, AU is saving more, and the funds can be channeled towards infrastructure development, research labs, and capacity building.
The Zimbabwe government, through its National Energy Policy, is planning to generate 2,100 MW by 2030 from renewable energy and biofuels like ethanol.
Maria Kwikiriza, who is from Uganda and is studying law, says that by investing in renewable energy, the institution is contributing to a clean environment.
'The campus is now quiet. The oil from the generator was affecting my breathing. We now have access to WiFi all night, which is essential for our studying,' says the 25-year-old who has asthma.
Zimbabwe, a country of 15.1 million people, has 62 percent electricity access and relies heavily on coal and hydropower for its energy needs.
The AU is improving electricity access to the community through its new solar power plant.
Reverend Peter Mageto, AU vice chancellor, says his institution is releasing electricity, which will benefit surrounding communities.
'So, we are glad that we are venturing into this so that the electricity supply authorities can provide electricity to the underserved communities,' he says, adding that this project is part of the AU's strategic plan running from 2023 to 2027.
Mageto, who is from Kenya, says he brought with him lessons learned from Kenya, which is one of the nations doing well in renewable energy in Africa.
Dr. James Sally, chief executive officer of Africa University, Tennessee, says the solar mini-grid was funded by AU Tennessee Corporation, which founded AU Zimbabwe more than 30 years ago.
'No donor provided funding for this project and that is the uniqueness of it. That is what I am talking about—sustainability,' says Sally, who is also the associate vice chancellor for institutional advancement at AU.
Garikayi says AU is working to generate 1.4 MW by October, enough to cover the university's farm and its residential areas.
This solar power plant will become the biggest in Manicaland Province after a 200 kW solar mini-grid in Hakwata in Chipinge, a 140 kW solar power plant at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital and a 150 kW solar power plant at Mutambara Mission Hospital, funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
He says if he has excess electricity, it will be extended to nearby Old Mutare, which has a school, an orphanage, and a hospital.
'We will be able to say there are 1,200 business units within Manicaland. Everyone within the region can now use the energy we would have been allocated,' Garikayi says, adding that the AU will reduce the load from the national grid.
Lumbo is planning to replicate this solar power plant in his country, Angola.
'I was talking to my fellow countrymen about taking this technology back home. It improves students' welfare and boosts our confidence,' he says.
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