Israel and Zambia Partner for $100 Million Solar-Wind Energy Project

A US$ 100 million renewable energy solar and wind project is underway in Zambia to establish a power station capable of generating 71 megawatts of electricity, which is a joint effort between Israel’s Gigawatt Global and Gigawatt Wind and Zambia. This will be a bilateral project between Israel and Zambia. The Zambian utility company will sign a 25-year power purchase agreement with Gigawatt Global and Gigawatt Wind to ensure the new project’s viability. This will be a most significant private Israeli investment in the Zambian economy. The project will solve challenges of solar energy storage, which today mostly relies on high-cost batteries that causes environmental damage. Gigawatt plans to do similar work in other African countries as well. The facility will be the first in Sub-Sahara African wind and solar energy in one location and supplies a continuous supply of renewable energy 24/7 benefiting half of the total power output of Zambia. The US$100 million investment was finalized last week during a visit of Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema to Israel, meeting President Isaac Herzog and Gigawatt Global CEO Josef Abramowitz. The Gigawatt Global and Gigawatt Wind have already completed impact studies in the grid in Zambia. Gigawatt Global president Yosef Abramowitz said the company will start and implement full project implementation. The solar and wind project is being built in Chibombo, in the Central Province of Zambia. The agreement was reached after meetings between President Hichilema and Zambia and President Isaac Herzog, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, and Mr. Abramowitz. Abramowitz is a well know figure in Israel’s renewable energy industry, the co-founder of the Arava Power Company and previous chairman of Eilat-Eilot. Gigawatt Wind is co-directed by American-Israeli businessman Ilan Goldstein, one of first Israel’s investors in wind energy. Gigawatt Global started earlier a similarly sized solar power project in Burundi, central Africa. During the visit Zambian Foreign Minister Stanley Kasongo Kakubo’s was meeting with foreign minister Cohen, and signed a framework agreement to strengthen cooperation between Zambia and Israel in medicine, communication, agriculture, and culture. “Africa is growing, and there is great potential for Israel’s relations with the continent’s countries,” foreign minister Cohen said.