Renewable energy gaining ground

RENEWABLE energy has the potential to transform Zimbabwe’s fortunes in particular the agricultural sector.

Zimbabwe experiences abundance of throughout the year and could capitalize on this resource to provide marginalized societies in rural areas with long lasting energy solutions for their daily livelihoods as an escape route from poverty.

Unfortunately government has not done much to take advantage of the natural resources even in the face of untold power shortages which have literally crippled production in industries.

According to power generation statistics from the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), the country is producing something in the region of 1300 Megawatts (MW) against a demand of 2200 MW and this has resulted in massive load-shedding. 

This power deficit has also prevented government from connecting rural areas to the national power grid through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) thereby slowing down critical development.

While government has been playing a back-benchers role, ChiMuts Solar Zimbabwe and some other individuals and small companies around the country have taken it upon themselves to utilise these environmental friendly resources through bio-gas projects and solar.

The Norton based private enterprise (ChiMuts) has been taking a leading role in providing farmers with solar powered water pumps.

The company says it aims to empower farmers over a long-term, to enable them to use solar to grow top quality crops for at least three seasons annually, as opposed to relying on rain fed agriculture which is usually from November to March.

Addressing the media during a media tour of their demonstration site at Moncris Farm recently, ChiMuts Solar Zimbabwe co-founder Tendai Mutsvangwa said solar powered water pumps is the only way to go because they are low cost.

“…its maintenance free which means it reduces repair headaches. These solar pumps are not just economical solutions but also give peace of mind.

“They are efficient and you don’t need to worry about bills, yes they maybe expensive at the initial stage but in the long run you will discover that they become cheaper than other methods. So far we have installed these pumps since 2012 and all our clients have no complaints or maintenance issues.

“The other thing is that in Zimbabwe we have almost eight hours of sunshine which is great and ideal for these pumps.

“Other countries do not have such privileges but they still use these equipment so why not us when we have the resource readily available to both small and large scale farmers,” he said.

Since 2012 ChiMuts has installed water pumps in about nine sites across the country ranging from farms, schools and game parks.

ChiMuts is using the solar pumps with drip-irrigation which according to the farm’s irrigation engineer Matilda Borerwi, reduces weeds in the fields and also uses less power.    

ChiMuts’ efforts are in line with calls made by finance minister Patrick Chinamasa in his 2015 national budget where he urged local farmers to consider using sustainable energy systems on their farms in an effort to save the environment.