Zambia tenders 300 MW of solar

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The first bid window of Zambia's new Carbon Feed In Premium Program plans to develop 300 MW of solar across projects that are connected to on-site battery energy storage systems. The deadline to submit expressions of interest is May 31.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Zambian government is inviting applications to its Carbon Feed In Premium Program (CFIP), a new results-based financing mechanism geared towards large-scale, grid-connected solar installations.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The program, implemented by the country’s Ministry of Green Economy and Environment and Ministry of Energy, is open to both national and international independent power producers, national power utility ZESCO and its subsidiaries.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A </span><a href="https://www.mgee.gov.zm/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CFIP-Call-For-Proposals.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">call for proposals</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> states that the first CFIP window will focus on procuring 300 MW of new solar projects.</span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.mgee.gov.zm/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Project-Eligibility-Criteria-for-the-CFIP-Programme.pdf" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Participation criteria</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> adds that only solar projects with planned installed capacities between 30 MW and 100 MW are eligible. Projects should also encompass a battery energy storage system located on site with a capacity of at least half an hour.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Projects supported by the program must be connected to the national grid, with ZESCO acting as the primary offtaker via a power purchase agreement.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An online CFIP information event will take place on April 14, ahead of a deadline for applicants to submit their expressions of interest by May 31.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Funding for the CFIP has been made available through a bilateral agreement between <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/region/zambia" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Zambia</a> and Norway, with Norway set to pay for the verified emissions reductions generated by the projects delivered under the program.</span></p>
<p>The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) has identified 912.4 MW of operational solar in Zambia across 142 projects, according to its project database.</p>
<p>Last May, ZESCO completed the <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/05/26/zambia-completes-100-mw-solar-farm/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">100 MW Chisamba solar farm</a> in southern Zambia, the country's largest operational project to date. At the time, the company said it plans to add a second 100 MW at the site. Work is also underway on a separate <a href="https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/08/22/zambia-begins-building-100-mw-solar-project/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">100 MW solar project</a> towards the east of the country.</p>