JA Solar wins Zimbabwe Solar Power Project
JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. has won a contract to supply 100 MW of photovoltaic (PV) modules to one of the first three large-scale ground-mounted solar power facilities in Zimbabwe. The projects will have a combined installed capacity of 300 MW and the three contractors for these projects are ZTE, China MCC17 Group and Intratrek Zimbabwe. JA Solar will supply its PV modules to China MCC17 Group for the project it is constructing.
According to information provided by the State Procurement Board of Zimbabwe, the power plants will be located in Munyati, Insukamini (small community near Munyati), and Gwanda, the capital of Matabeleland South (Zimbabwean province located next to the Botswana border). A spokesperson for JA Solar said that the company began negotiations with the Zimbabwe Power Company to supply modules for the Munyati project earlier this year. The spokesman further explained that China MCC17 Group chose JA Solar as their exclusive module supplier after winning the bid to construct the Munyati project.
The three projects involve a total PV module contract value of US$544 million, US$179 million of which was won by JA Solar. The projects are scheduled to commence construction near the end of 2016 or early 2017, and are expected to be completed by the end of 2017.
Xie Jian, executive president of JA Solar, said, “Zimbabwe was President Xi’s first stop during his official visit to Africa, signalling that both countries should expect to see greater cooperation in the field of renewable energy. Winning the contract to supply PV modules to the Zimbabwe project not only provides opportunities for JA Solar to establish stronger relationships in Zimbabwe but also helps lay a foundation for the company to develop relationships with other African countries. JA Solar will continue its commitment to providing higher-quality solar products for markets across the globe, as we continue to pursue the highest quality in our products in order to best serve our customers.”
The leader from China MCC17 Group commented, “We are dedicated to making the Munyati solar project the first completed solar project in Zimbabwe, to serve the electricity needs of the Zimbabwean people.”