BY STAFF REPORTER
AN array of top experts and government officials has been lined up to speak about the future of Zimbabwe’s energy sector at a high-profile conference in Victoria Falls this week.
The conference — running from Wednesday to Friday — will explore renewable energy opportunities at a time Zimbabwe is struggling to generate enough electricity due to drought and constant breakdown of its thermal power stations.
Energy and Power Development minister Fortune Chasi will be the guest speaker at the International Renewable Energy Conference and Expo at the Elephant Hills Hotel being organised by Alpha Media Holdings (AMH).
Chasi will share the platform with Energy and Power Development permanent secretary Gloria Magombo, Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority acting CEO Edington Mazambani, University of Zimbabwe vice-chancellor Paul Mapfumo and Engineering Council of Zimbabwe’s Ben Rafemoyo.
Other speakers will be Nyangani Renewable Energy MD Ian Mackenzie, African Sustainability Consultants’ Tawanda Mizamwese, Southern African Power Pool’s Stephen Dihwa, Centragrid Energy director Victor Utedzi and Farai Kanonda from the African Development Bank.
AMH said participants at the conference will seek to understand the value that can be derived from renewable energy.
“The conference will also discuss ways of harnessing renewable energy,” the organisers said.
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“It will explore renewable energy policies and how to improve efficiencies in the African economies as well as establish the impediments in the implementation of power projects on the continent.
“The international conference will attract over 500 high-level representatives from across the globe.”
Targeted guests include representatives of governments, financiers, independent power producers and institutional investors, among others.
In May last year, Zimbabwe introduced an 18-hour daily load-shedding programme as water levels at Kariba Dam became too low to generate electricity.
