By Doreen Chembe
The 100 Megawatt Chisamba Solar PV Project has been recognised as Africa’s Solar Deal of the Year 2025 at the IJ Global Awards in London.
The award was presented to renewable energy trader and aggregator Africa GreenCo in recognition of the project’s innovative financing and power off-take structure.
The IJ Global Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in global energy and infrastructure finance, with the Solar Deal of the Year for Africa category honouring projects that demonstrate innovation, complex financing structures, and significant market impact.
Located in Central Province, the 100MW Chisamba Solar PV Project is the largest grid-connected solar power plant in Zambia’s history and the largest of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa outside South Africa.
In a statement to ZNBC News, GreenCo Managing Director for Zambia Wezi Gondwe said the award highlights strong collaboration among stakeholders that enabled the transaction to be completed in record time. He added that the project demonstrates how commercial financing can be unlocked at scale without relying on sovereign guarantees, creating a sustainable model for meeting Zambia’s growing energy demand, particularly in the mining sector.
The project was developed by the Kariba North Bank Extension Power Corporation (KNBEPC), a wholly owned subsidiary of ZESCO.
KNBEPC Chief Executive Officer Boyd Kanchela described the award as a major milestone, recognizing the dedication and innovation of the project team. He noted that the project reached financial close in May 2025, securing 71.5 million US dollars in commercial debt financing from Stanbic Bank Zambia.
