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6 - Centralized vs. Decentralized Generation in Zambia: Meeting Electricity Demand in the Context of Climate Change

from Part I - Mitigating Institutional Voids by Design

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 November 2019

By
Malik Ismail ,
Murray Metcalfe  and
Madeleine McPherson
Edited by
Nuno Gil ,
Anne Stafford  and
Innocent Musonda
Nuno Gil
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
Anne Stafford
Affiliation:
University of Manchester
Innocent Musonda
Affiliation:
University of Johannesburg
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Summary

This chapter investigates the feasibility of large-scale centralized renewable generation and residential solar photovoltaic electricity (PV) in addressing Zambia’s electricity deficit, caused by droughts which are in turn attributable to climate disturbances and the nation’s rapidly increasing electricity demand. Specifically, it was found that centralized solar generation when optimally located could produce generation/cost ratios as low as $0.042/kWh, comparable with existing hydro generation cost ratios of $0.02-$0.03/kWh. For the decentralized generation scenarios, which analyzed the potential of on-grid and off-grid solar PV generation in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital, it was observed that a fully decentralized approach is not economically feasible, as electricity would be 6 to 12 times as costly as the existing rate. A series of hybrid scenarios, with varying combinations of centralized and decentralized generation, were also analyzed, with the 70 percent centralized, 30 percent decentralized scenario being found to best address Zambia’s electricity shortage. This approach would both provide affordable power and enable quicker implementation, greater consumer autonomy, easier planning, and diversified sources of funding. It would also enhance Zambia’s ability to become a continental leader in renewable energy.

Type
Chapter
Information
Duality by Design
The Global Race to Build Africa's Infrastructure
 , pp. 161 - 202
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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