Michael Tome Business Reporter
PUMA Energies Zimbabwe plans to establish at least 300 solar systems across its retail network by the end of 2023 to enhance the security of power supply to its operations as well as contribute to the global transition to clean energy sources.
This comes as the energy company is bullish about growing its domestic market share and recently announced plans to spend US$10 million on the network expansion over the next five years.
Although Puma did not avail the actual targeted investment amount, the budget for the solar projects has already been approved and the firm will proceed with the implementation of the project once technical details are finalised.
Solar energy can be a cost-effective solution to energy challenges in Zimbabwe as it eliminates the need for costly infrastructure development like installation of power lines over long distances.
According to Puma, the company has already identified working partners that will be working with it in the solar energy space.
The petroleum company has thus far managed to set up teams to work on project designs, particularly for its strategic service stations.
“Whilst it has taken us longer than we had anticipated, we are still committed to solarising our retail network as part of Puma Energy’s wider plans to install 300 solar projects across its network by the end of 2023.
“We have already installed over 230 solar generation systems on our own assets and now we are ready to help our customers cut their Greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions and energy bills by doing the same.
“Hitherto the company has established a great deal of solar power generation expertise through the installation of solar generation systems across our network,” said Donatien Kodog, Puma Energy Zimbabwe general manager.
Just like in many parts of Africa, Zimbabwe receives a high amount of solar radiation due to its abundance of sunlight and proximity to the equator. This makes solar power a reliable and consistent source of energy in the region.
Solar energy is a clean and renewable source of energy, producing no harmful emissions or pollution. It helps to reduce reliance on other degrading sources of energy including fossil fuels, leading to a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change.
Solar power systems are designed in a diverse scale and can be custom-made to match the specific energy needs of different communities, from small off-grid systems for individual households to larger installations for institutions and industries.