Zimbabwean Agricultural Company Goes For Solar & Storage

• Sun Exchange will install a 1.9 MW solar and storage project for Nhimbe Fresh in Zimbabwe
• It will carry out the project in 3 stages, starting with phase I wherein it will launch crowd-sales
• It is selling solar cell lease contracts for this project on its website promising a lease rate of $0.081 per solar cell per month to energy consumers
• Nhimbe Fresh will be able to lower its dependence on expensive diesel generators and also expand its production capacity with the help of continuous solar power supply at a lower cost

South African energy company Sun Exchange has been contracted by fruit and tobacco producer from Zimbabwe, Nhimbe Fresh to install solar PV system and battery storage capacity for its cold storage and packhouse facilities.

Sun Exchange enables anyone to buy remotely located solar cells installed as modules in PV projects. It will install the 1.9 MW project for Nhimbe Fresh and has launched crowd-sales for phase I (510.30 kW) of the 3-stage project under which it will power the Zimbabwean company's packhouse and cold storage facility. Referring to a joint statement by the 2 companies, Reuters said Sun Exchange will lease solar modules to Nhimbe at a US dollar-pegged fixed price.

Solar and storage capacity through Sun Exchange will enable Nhimbe to reduce its dependence on expensive diesel generators that the company is forced to rely on in the wake of power outages lowering its production capacity to 60%. Clean energy will also aid Nhimbe Fresh expand its production capacity for blueberries from 20 hectares to 200 hectares over next 5 years, stated Reuters, as well as in its $15 million joint venture with Farmgate of UAE to produce fruits, macadamia nuts and vegetables for the UAE market. Reliable, continuous and cheap solar power is expected to help Nhimbe reduce its energy costs by over 60% annually.

Sun Exchange said, "This 1.9 MW solar-plus-storage project is our largest to date, the first outside South Africa, offers solar cell buyers more earnings and benefits, and creates sustainability and resilience for agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa."

It is selling solar cell lease contracts for this project on its website promising a lease rate of $0.081 per solar cell per month to the energy consumer. After deducting insurance and servicing fee, cell owners will receive $0.06 per solar cell per month under a 20-year operating lease for buyers. Sun Exchange is offering 181,440 cells with each cell having 2.81 W capacity under this offering.

Zimbabwe aims to have 1,575 MW of solar power capacity as part of its energy mix by 2030, according to Reuters.