Optate Africa, a Zimbabwean company, intends to construct a 200 MW wind power facility near Plumtree, a town in the country’s southwest. In order to set up the facility, it has requested a 25-year lease from the Mangwe Rural District Council for 100 acres of land. Optate Africa is operating the project in collaboration with GE, a turbine manufacturing and development company that will assist with the technical details of financing and constructing the wind farm.
Zimbabwe has increased its use of renewable energy recently. In 2022, the government revived plans to include wind power in the country’s energy mix in an effort to address combat domestic power deficits and prepare for anticipated growth in power demand. The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority halted a wind energy feasibility study in 2018 when private companies’ bids exceeded the estimated budget.
The Zimbabwe National Renewable Energy Policy outlines the government’s goal of producing 1.1 GW of renewable energy by 2025, or 16.5 per cent of total capacity. According to the company’s statement, a part of the power generated by the project will be sold to the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC).
