Zimbabwe is rapidly expanding solar power as it seeks to reduce its dependence on drought-prone hydropower and ageing coal plants while strengthening energy security. The state utility ZESA is advancing a programme of up to 500 MW of solar across about 10 sites, while dozens of private solar IPPs are also moving through development. The government is increasingly positioning solar not simply as a clean-energy option, but as infrastructure needed to support mining, agriculture, manufacturing and wider economic growth.
The centrepiece is a proposed 600 MW floating solar project on Lake Kariba, which would be developed in three phases over five years. The first 150 MW phase is targeted for construction, with the full project expected by 2031. By placing solar generation on the reservoir, Zimbabwe hopes to make better use of existing infrastructure while reducing the pressure on Kariba’s hydroelectric generation during periods of drought. The project is privately funded, with financing being assembled around a package of roughly $400 million, alongside development support from Afreximbank.
At the same time, Zimbabwe is building a broader pipeline of independent power projects. Regulators have approved more than 40 solar projects at different stages, including projects such as Vungu Solar and the 50 MW ZimGreenCo–Dolcin development. This matters because the strategy is not dependent on one government project: Zimbabwe is attempting to create a market in which private developers, long-term power agreements and international financiers can add generation capacity alongside ZESA. The solar push also extends beyond utility-scale generation. Zimbabwe is deploying solar mini-grids and standalone systems in rural communities, while schools, clinics and other public institutions are being equipped with solar power. These smaller systems can provide electricity in areas where extending the national grid would be expensive or slow. Together, the large projects and decentralised systems give Zimbabwe a two-level strategy: add significant new generation to the national system while using distributed solar to reach communities and essential services more quickly.
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The bigger story is therefore diversification rather than simply decarbonisation. Zimbabwe is trying to build an electricity system that is less vulnerable to drought, ageing thermal infrastructure and supply shortages, while using renewable energy to support industrialisation. Its stated ambition of increasing renewables to more than 20% of installed capacity by 2030 reflects that direction. The test now is whether the country can convert its growing project pipeline into financially closed, operational plants and turn abundant solar potential into reliable electricity for an economy that needs far more power.
