Zambia‘s Ministry of Energy has announced that the country’s cumulative installed solar PV capacity reached approximately 841 MW by the end of July 2026.
“Solar power has grown remarkably from only 88 MW in 2021 to approximately 841 MW in 2026, placing Zambia firmly on course to achieve the target of 1,000 MW of solar generation by the end of this year, in line with the Presidential Directive,” the ministry said during a press briefing on the electricity sector.
Of the country’s installed PV capacity, around 30 MW is currently operating under Zambia’s net metering regime, which was launched in July 2024.
The net metering framework allows eligible consumers to install grid-connected renewable energy systems, particularly solar PV, for self-consumption and to export surplus electricity to the grid through bi-directional meters.
Utility-scale solar accounts for a significant share of Zambia’s expanding PV fleet.
Major projects include Copperbelt Energy Corporation’s (CEC) 60 MW Itimpi Phase I and 136 MW Itimpi Phase II solar plants in Kitwe; ZESCO’s 100 MW Chisamba Solar Phase I and 100 MW Chisamba Solar Phase II projects, as well as the 50 MW Mabumba solar plant in Mansa; the 25 MW Mailo Phase I and 35 MW Mailo Phase II Solar Century projects in Serenje; the 20 MW Kiyona NRDC solar project; the 15 MW Kasupe Phase I and II projects; the 16 MW Northrise Lifesong solar project; and the 27 MW Lunsemfwa solar project.
Together, these utility-scale projects represent approximately 584 MW of capacity. When combined with the roughly 30 MW installed under the net metering regime, the identified capacity amounts to around 614 MW, leaving a difference of approximately 227 MW compared with the government’s reported national total of 841 MW. The Ministry of Energy has not provided a breakdown of the remaining capacity or clarified which installations are included in this portion of the total.
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